Chapter 8 - He Took My Heart

Adam’s POV



I loved her.



Ever since the contracts were signed by both my family and the Wisdoms, I knew that I always had a reason to continue living for the next day.



Growing up for me was hard. Being the illegitimate son of an irresponsible king and promiscuous handmaiden, I was ostracized by those I only wanted to be friends with and was disowned by people I was supposed to call family.



What was the point in being immortal if that meant having to spend the days alone?



Then came Eloise—a light. A beacon of hope. The only person who showed me true kindness and compassion without asking for anything in return. The person who spoke to me like I was an equal, not a lesser. Someone who considered me as a friend and not a burden.



I’d be damned if I’d lose her again.



“You two there! Aid your prince, now!” I called for the nearest guards.



Together, we entered the wildfire that was set ablaze in the room and searched every square inch for Eloise. Anger and desperation fueled me.



From the corners of my eyes, I spotted someone laying on the ground unconsciously.



It has to be Eloise!



But my smile quickly faded once I realized it was only Emma.



“Wake up, Emma!” I barked. “Where is Eloise? Where is she?!”



It took a few seconds for Emma to reawaken and come to her senses. Upon seeing my face, she threw her arms around my neck “Oh, your Highness! It was terrible, all terrible! Eloise, she… she—”



“Enough with your blathering! Where is my fiancée?!”



Emma flinched at my booming voice. “Your Highness… I’m sorry but I don’t know where she went. I can tell you for certain that she’s not dead, however! Something is definitely wrong with her, though! Her ability to use such advanced magic is unheard of for someone who is a lowly wi—”



My eyes began to glow a bright red. I wrapped my hands around Emma’s neck.



I only ever tolerated the insufferable maid because she was willing to risk life and limb to do whatever I needed of her.



But now that she had lost the one person I wanted to keep close, she was useless.



Before I could squeeze the life out of her eyes, the sounds of howling wolves pierced the air. They grew louder and louder with every passing second.



“Your Highness, we must leave and get you somewhere safe,” one of my men had intervened and pulled on my arm.



Throwing Emma to the ground, I stood up without a second glance at her. “Fine. Let’s go then!”



————



Eloise’s POV



Fire magic was my favorite elemental magic. It was the first one I became familiar with. It had so many different uses.



Like creating chaos so I could slip out of the castle without being noticed.



To ensure that no one would find me, I raced for the hills behind the castle and escaped into the forest.



However, I couldn’t run for long, no matter how much I wanted to. Advanced spells were no joke and it took almost everything out of me to cast the magic onto Emma.



I stopped for a moment, leaned against a tree, and attempted to catch my breath. With every passing second, I could feel my strength being drained from my body.



There’s no way I’m gonna make it out of the mountains tonight… I had to find somewhere to hide for a little bit.



After I was done hiking and scaling jagged parts of the mountain, I found a cave nestled far beyond what anyone could reach. It was well-hidden behind some trees.



Walking further into the cave, I found a comfortable spot to settle at. Then I took the mirror out of my pocket and began to rub it with my shirt. “Mona… Mona…” I whispered to the mirror.



A few seconds passed when another face popped up in the reflection. “Mona!”



She smiled at me before floating out of the mirror. “Phew!” Mona wiped her forehead jokingly.



After she stretched her body, Mona floated and settled down next to me. “I honestly don’t understand why you chose to spare her. You could’ve just killed her and gotten it over with.”



“I only wanted to scare her,” I shrugged my shoulders. “Aside from being so arrogant and having a nasty mouth, she hasn’t done anything to truly deserve death.”



“You’re too soft-hearted, Eloise.”



“Just forget about it, Mona!” I waved my hands dismissively. “You need to help me, I don’t understand what’s happening! I can hardly breathe…” I complained in between heavy breaths.



Mona floated around me, her eyebrows slanted with worry. “You’re committing to your studies way too fast. Even though your witch blood should be more than capable of harnessing ancient magic from the mirror, your powers haven’t fully awakened yet. And because you performed an expert-level spell, your body is being punished for it.”



The mirror was the key to being able to channel ancient magic. I needed to unlock my full potential or else I wouldn’t be able to kill Xavier. The day of the prophecy was approaching faster than I thought and I didn’t have much time left.



Once Xavier takes his throne back… We’ll all be dead…



Shaking my head, I pleaded with Mona. “Please, Mona… there’s not much time left…”



Before I could get another word in, my vision started to blur as I fell to the ground.



Struggling to keep my eyes open, the environment around me began to change. The scene that played out before me was so familiar—it was the one I saw when I first found the ancient mirror.



I was in a beautiful wedding dress. The rest of my family were laying in a pool of their blood; and so was Adam. Towering over me with a crown on his head, Xavier held an iron sword that was completely stained with the blood of everyone he had slain.



There was no life behind those golden eyes. Not even when he stepped forward and stabbed me in the heart...