The moment felt infinite, every breath hanging in the suffocating air as the King unleashed a torrent of dark magic. The oppressive energy swirled around the room, heavy and malevolent, making it hard to breathe. The torches lining the walls flickered wildly, their light dimming under the sheer weight of his power.
Misery’s scream tore through the silence, a sound raw with anguish and fury. Her hands gripped the chains binding Seraphine, the enchanted links humming with dark magic as they resisted her pull.
Her fingers trembled, the strain in her arms burning like fire, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop.
With a final, desperate burst of strength, Misery pulled, and the chains shattered. The magic within them fizzled out, dissolving into the air like smoke.
Seraphine staggered forward, her silver eyes wide with shock and disbelief, her bruised wrists free for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
“Run!” Misery shouted, shoving Seraphine hard toward the guard who cradled the infant. Her voice was a sharp, commanding cry, filled with urgency.
Seraphine stumbled but recovered quickly, her movements clumsy but fueled by instinct. Her hands reached for the baby, her eyes narrowing as she fixed her gaze on the fragile bundle.
The guard faltered, taken off guard by the sudden chaos. His grip on the child loosened as he took an involuntary step back.
But before Seraphine could secure the baby in her arms, a wave of the King’s dark magic surged through the room, striking her squarely in the chest. The force of it was like a battering ram, hurling her across the room. Her cry echoed as her body collided with the stone wall, the impact reverberating through the room. She crumpled to the ground, unmoving.
“No!” Misery screamed, her voice breaking as she turned back toward the King. Her heart pounded wildly, every beat a painful reminder of how close she was to losing everything.
Amid the chaos, Adrian moved in a blur. His vampiric speed carried him across the room in an instant, his movements precise and calculated. He reached the guard just as the man began to recover, snatching the baby from his arms with a fluid motion. The child let out a startled cry, her tiny fists trembling as Adrian cradled her against his chest.
Adrian turned to face the King, his crimson eyes blazing with fury and defiance. The baby’s cries were soft but insistent, cutting through the tension like a knife. Adrian held her protectively, his stance unwavering as he stared down the man who had tormented them all.
The King rose from his throne, his fury palpable. Dark magic crackled in the air around him, the oppressive energy growing stronger with every second. His eyes, black and unrelenting, locked onto Adrian.
“You dare defy me?” he roared, his voice a thunderous boom that shook the very walls of the chamber.
Adrian’s grip on the baby tightened, but his expression didn’t falter. “Someone has to,” he said evenly, his voice carrying across the room with calm defiance. The words hung in the air, a challenge that only seemed to enrage the King further.