110 The Mysterious Woman
Lucas stumbled through the dark, moonless night, his heart heavy with despair and sorrow.
The betrayal of his Nadia and Celia, compounded by the knowledge that his archenemy, Yiman, had been the one to steal Nadia, left him feeling hollow and utterly broken. With each step, the pain of his shattered life bore down upon him, and his will to live waned like a dying flame.
As Lucas wandered aimlessly, his legs grew weak, and he found himself at the edge of a deep, murky ditch.
His body trembled, and, in a moment of overwhelming grief, he collapsed into the cold, damp earth. His consciousness began to slip away, the darkness of the ditch reflecting the darkness within his soul.
'I should have died a long time ago…' Lucas wished since if that was true he would never have his heart broken like this.
Just as his consciousness began to slip away, he became vaguely aware of an unusual presence nearby. His eyes struggled to focus, and through his blurry vision, he saw a figure of a woman approaching him.
Her skin was an impossible shade of purple, and her otherworldly beauty seemed to defy the laws of nature. She moved with a grace that was both captivating and disconcerting, her form appearing to float above the ground. Her eyes, as red as the deepest crimson, locked onto his fading gaze, and he felt an inexplicable pull, a sense of fascination that momentarily pushed back the darkness threatening to consume him.
As she came closer, he could hear her voice, melodic and enchanting, yet tinged with an underlying darkness that sent shivers down his spine. She spoke to him, her words weaving a spell that seemed to wrap around his very soul.
"Ah, poor child," she purred, "so lost and broken, teetering on the edge of oblivion. But fear not, for I have come to offer you a chance, an opportunity to rise from the ashes of your despair and claim the power you rightfully deserve."
Her words resonated within Lucas, igniting a spark that still lingered deep within him.
He didn't know what was going on or who this woman was. But before he could ponder about it, he fell asleep.
***
Lucas slowly regained consciousness, his senses returning one by one.
At first, he was aware only of the cold, hard surface beneath him, then the faint sound of distant whispers and the echoing footsteps of unseen inhabitants.
As his vision cleared, he realized he was lying on a stone slab in a dimly lit chamber, the air heavy with the scent of ancient incense and the oppressive weight of countless years.
The chamber itself appeared to be part of an old, dark, and ominous temple.
Shadows danced across the walls, cast by flickering torchlight that struggled to penetrate the stifling darkness. The walls were adorned with detailed carvings, depicting scenes of both divine worship and unspeakable horror, as if the line between god and devil had been blurred into a single entity.
As Lucas tried to piece together the fragmented memories of his recent past, he recalled the haunting figure of the mysterious woman, her enigmatic beauty and the chilling promise of power she had whispered before he had succumbed to unconsciousness.
His eyes shook as he wondered if that woman kidnapped him and brought him here.
As Lucas took in his surroundings, a growing sense of unease settled within him. He was a stranger in a place of darkness and mystery and didn't know what was going to happen to him.
Even if he didn't feel like living, he didn't want to die in a place like this.
He stepped out of the chamber and in the far end of the corridor, he could see a small group of people huddled together, their eyes downcast and their bodies marked with the signs of their servitude.
They seemed to move in perfect unison, their actions and expressions looking as if they were praying to the figure standing above them on the platform.
As his eyes darted around the chamber, he noticed the strange, subservient people prostrating themselves before a familiar figure – the purple-skinned woman he had encountered before.
She stood tall and proud, her otherworldly beauty commanding the unwavering devotion of her followers. Sensing his gaze, she slowly turned her head to meet his eyes, a chilling smile playing on her lips.
The sight of her haunting visage, coupled with the unsettling behavior of her devotees, sent a surge of panic through Lucas's veins. His instincts screamed at him to flee, to escape from this dark and dangerous place before it consumed him entirely. Without a second thought, he scrambled to his feet and began to run, his heart pounding in his chest as he desperately sought an exit.
But as he dashed through the temple's shadowy corridors, the men and women who served the mysterious woman appeared from the shadows, their eerie smiles never wavering as they closed in on him. It was as if they could anticipate his every move, their devotion to their mistress giving them an uncanny ability to predict his actions.
With every turn he took, Lucas found himself surrounded by more of these loyal followers, their unsettling grins growing more sinister as they closed in on him. The oppressive atmosphere of the temple bore down on him, suffocating him with the weight of his own helplessness.
As his options for escape dwindled,Lucas began to feel his strength wane. The people closed in around him, their hands reaching out to subdue him with surprising swiftness. He struggled valiantly, but it was no use – their numbers were overwhelming, and the strange power that seemed to guide them was too potent to resist.
Finally, a blow struck the back of his head, and Lucas's world went black. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he was dimly aware of the haunting laughter of the mysterious woman echoing through the temple, a sinister reminder of the fate that awaited him in her dark domain.
