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Authors pov
The ornate ceiling of Hakan's private chambers seemed to press down on Lucina, though it was the oppressive silence, thick with accusation, that truly stole her breath. Sunlight, fractured and weak, struggled to pierce the heavy drapery, leaving the room steeped in a twilight gloom that mirrored her mounting panic.
He should be happy.
The thought was a frantic, useless refrain in her mind. Just moments ago, she had finally gathered the courage, her voice trembling slightly as she confessed her ability. Not just a meager skill, but a genuine healing gift—a power she'd believed would finally secure her place by his side, proving her worth beyond the political bindings of their union.
"I thought he would be happy to hear that I have a healing ability…" she whispered internally, her fingers interlacing over her chest. The small, frantic movements—a barely contained fidget—betrayed the unease she tried to mask with a fragile smile. "Hakan, what's… wrong?"
Hakan, the Dragon King, stood with his back to her, a monolith of tense muscle and coiled fury. His long, dark hair, braided with silver threads, seemed to bristle with the dark energy radiating off him. When he finally turned, his face was a mask of cold, brutal disbelief, the deep shadows beneath his eyes making him look less like her betrothed and more like a vengeful god.
"How dare you… lie to me?" The words were not shouted, but grated out, a low, savage rasp. The sound of his teeth grinding—a palpable, painful GRIT—echoed in the stillness, far more terrifying than any roar.
Lucina flinched, her mind racing. Lie?
"HUH? W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN…?" Her voice was a pathetic squeak of fear and confusion. She clutched the turquoise fabric of her dress, her eyes wide, the silver irises swimming with sudden tears. Does he not trust me? The question burned, a fresh, agonizing betrayal.
Hakan took a menacing step closer, the floorboards silent beneath his regal boots, yet the thunder of his approach filled her ears. The shadows around him deepened, a sickly purple haze seeping from his essence.
"You told me that I was the only person you loved. WAS THAT ALL A LIE?"
It was a devastating non-sequitur. The conversation had veered violently, inexplicably, from her healing ability to his core fear. His face twisted in an ugly grimace of pure rage.
"OR DID HE USE SOME SORT OF FOUL TRICK TO SEDUCE YOU?"
Lucina's breath hitched. Seduce me? Who was he talking about? Her hand flew to her cheek, which felt flushed with unwarranted shame. "Hakan's acting strange," she thought, her lips barely moving. C-CALM DOWN, she pleaded, utterly lost.
The world began to tilt. The oppressive atmosphere, Hakan's unreasoning fury, the swirling purple shadows—it was too much. Lucina's vision blurred; she felt a dizzying wave wash over her. DIZZY was the only word her mind could conjure as she swayed on her feet.
In a desperate, reckless gamble to break through his madness, she grasped his arm. Her own fear was momentarily overridden by the memory of his pale, sickly complexion from the morning.
"I CAN CURE YOUR SICKNESS," she vowed, her voice trembling but resolute. She had to, before his sickness—this paranoia, this rage—destroyed them both.
Hakan recoiled as if burned, his handsome face contorted in a final, agonizing expression of despair. The sorrow was quickly swallowed by a surge of pure, murderous wrath.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
He screamed the words, the magical surge from his body shattering the air, its reverberations like a physical strike. He doubled over, clutching his chest, a single tear—shaped like a drop of molten silver—shedding from his eye. The shadow, Hakan's shadow, loomed large and monstrous over them both.
Lucina stared at him, her body numb, her previous words choked in her throat.
"C-CALM DOWN, HAKAN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT…" she wanted to scream. But his eyes, wide and wild, were not looking at her. They were fixed on something over her shoulder, on a phantom she could not see.
"I'M THE ONLY OTHER PERSON HERE, BUT IT FEELS LIKE HE'S LOOKING AT SOMEONE ELSE."
As Hakan collapsed, the truth dawned on Lucina with a crushing weight. This wasn't Hakan. This was the disease. This was the curse. And the only other person in the room… was the Dragon King himself, fighting a silent, terrible battle within his own mind.
LUCINA…
A whisper—barely audible, laced with pain and familiarity—slid past the lips of the raging figure. A flicker of the man she loved, drowning in the darkness of his own power.
I have to save him. Now.
---
The darkness consuming Hakan was absolute. His hands, gripping the delicate golden chain around Lucina's neck, tightened in a brutal CLENCH. The dark magic swirling around them pressed Lucina's pale face close to his, their breaths mingling, heavy and ragged.
"IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH," Hakan snarled, his eyes burning red with a hatred that wasn't meant for her, but for the phantom of doubt and accusation birthed by his curse. The sheer terror made Lucina's body TREMBLE, her consciousness fading. C-CALM DOWN, HAKAN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT…
The thought of his worsening condition, of his potential to lash out and ATTACK SOMEONE ELSE, spurred a desperate, radical idea. Couldn't I… HEAL HIM USING MY POWER? The holy power, her secret healing ability, might be the only weapon against this sickness. But the thought of confronting his rage with her vulnerable, newfound magic was terrifying.
Before she could act on the reckless impulse, a sharp, authoritative voice pierced the chamber door.
Gillai's Intervention
In the hall, the guard's casual confirmation—"YES. HE'S WITH LUCINA RIGHT NOW"—was the match to Gillai's carefully banked anxiety.
Gillai, the long-haired man in the purple robe, slammed his shoulder into the door with a desperate BURST. The heavy wood shuddered, and he didn't wait for permission. The moment he stepped across the threshold, the scene before him froze his heart.
Hakan was lying on the expensive red carpet, convulsing and mumbling darkly, the magical black miasma still clinging to him. Lucina lay unconscious beside him, her skin pale against her turquoise dress, the gold chain snapped and scattered on the floor.
"LUCINA!" Gillai's cry was ragged with relief and fury. He rushed to the two figures, his mind racing.
It might be possible to heal him if she uses her holy power… he thought, his expert eye immediately assessing the volatile energy in the room. He knew Lucina possessed the Holy Power—the very ability Hakan's disease both feared and craved. …but judging by Hakan's current condition, she'd be putting herself in too much danger.
Gillai knelt instantly, gently lifting Lucina into his arms while giving a sharp GLANCE at the still-muttering Hakan. He knew Hakan was nearing his potent period—a time of amplified magic and unhinged madness. He had to prioritize Lucina's safety.
He stood, holding the unconscious bride protectively, and barked a command at the shocked guard who was just entering the room.
"HURRY UP AND GET SOME HELP!"
"Y-YES, SIR!" the guard stammered, turning and dashing down the hall.
Gillai looked down at Lucina, the fear etched onto her face even in sleep. H-Hakan… is acting really strange. The words she'd likely spoken before passing out echoed in his mind. He tightened his grip.
"IT'S BECAUSE HE'S NEARING HIS POTENT PERIOD. YOU NEED TO GET AWAY FROM HIM—" he spoke the warning to her silent form, a futile promise of protection.
Just then, a weak voice drifted up from the floor.
"IS THAT YOU… GILLAI? WHERE AM I…?"
Hakan, momentarily broken free from the curse's grip, looked up, his eyes cleared of the red madness. He was confused, lost, and vulnerable—the King Lucina knew.
Gillai gazed down at the Dragon King, guilt and duty warring in his soul. He had protected Lucina, but at the cost of Hakan's awareness. Was that Lucina just now? The question burned in Gillai's memory—the King's confused final words before the darkness fully claimed him once more.
The battle for the Dragon King's mind had only just begun.
The violent FSSSSHHHH of the dark magic being momentarily purged faded into an echoing silence. Hakan's tremendous body, released from the grip of his delusion by Lucina's holy power, went suddenly slack. Lucina, gasping from the exertion of pouring her light into him, was still held tightly by Gillai, who stared down at her, the concern clear in his eyes.
"LUCINA?" he whispered.
Hakan lay stunned on the richly patterned carpet, his mind still swimming in the dark residue of the curse. Slowly, with a pained effort, he pushed himself up. The terrifying red haze in his eyes was replaced by a look of utter desolation.
What have I done? The thought crashed over him, a cold, sickening realization. He glanced at the white-haired woman in Gillai's arms, her face pale, and the fractured memory of blinding white light. Did she… save me? He saw the devastation of the room—the overturned furniture, the oppressive gloom—and the remnants of the paranoia that had made him lash out and SHOUT accusations. He had accused her of deceit and infidelity:
"YOU TOLD ME THAT I WAS THE ONLY PERSON YOU LOVED. WAS THAT ALL A LIE?"
He remembered the bitter taste of rage, the metallic GRIT of his teeth, and Lucina's terrified plea:
"C-CALM DOWN, HAKAN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT…"
The Witnesses
Before Hakan could fully process the horror of his actions, the door opened again. The guard from earlier rushed in, followed by several nervous attendants, including two women.
"GILLAI, I'VE BROUGHT THE CLERIC AND THE OTHERS—" the guard began, stopping short at the scene: the mighty Dragon King crumpled on the floor, and Gillai holding the unconscious bride. The murmuring of the attendants filled the room.
The attendants rushed forward. One of the women, her face a mask of anxious concern, knelt beside the King.
"YOUR MAJESTY, IS LUCINA OKAY?"
Hakan, pulling himself to his feet, felt the weight of the King's burden crash down again. He was ashamed, but he was also acutely aware of the witnesses. He stepped forward, taking Lucina gently from Gillai's arms.
He issued the commands in a voice that was strained but held the authority of his position. He needed the room cleared, the silence restored, and the evidence of his dangerous weakness contained.
"TAKE HER TO HER ROOM," Hakan instructed, cradling Lucina's fragile form. His gaze then found Gillai, who was still recovering from the physical SLAM and the residual magical discharge. Gillai had saved Lucina from his own madness.
"PLEASE CHECK GILLAI AND MAKE SURE HE IS OKAY," Hakan commanded.
As the attendants rushed to obey, Hakan felt the heavy weight of his secret and his guilt. He had learned the terrifying truth: Lucina had the power to combat his curse, but by doing so, she had exposed herself to the full force of his rage. He moved, carrying his bride away from the wreckage of his delusion.
The air in Hakan's private chamber was thick with the scent of ozone and burnt shadows. The Dragon King stood rigid, his chest still heaving, having just carried Lucina away to her room. The command to check on Gillai was obeyed, and now the two men were alone, the chamber door closed against the anxious murmurs of the servants.
Hakan felt a crushing sense of shame. What have I done? He had accused her of betrayal, shouted venomous lies, and nearly harmed her—all fueled by the curse that consumed him during his potent period. He gave a deep SIGH.
Gillai, having recovered from the blow he took while shielding Lucina, walked up to Hakan with a measured STEP.
"How is Lucina?" Hakan asked, his voice low, his hand forming a tense CLENCH. He needed reassurance, even if it was just a lie.
"She's fine," Gillai replied, keeping his expression carefully neutral. "She's injured, but it's just a bruise. She'll be fine when she awakes." He paused, allowing the King's guilt to settle before delivering the crucial, hidden information.
Gillai continued, his voice dropping: "I've examined the candle you mentioned…"
Hakan's head snapped up. The 'candle' was the object Hakan had found earlier, a seemingly innocuous item Lucina had brought, which his instincts—and his curse—had identified as a source of dark influence. The Dragon King had given it to Gillai for inspection before the crisis erupted.
"…and I'm not entirely sure what it is," Gillai confessed. He looked at Hakan, who was now wearing only a simple white shirt, his powerful build visible. "But I'm certain that it has been subjected to some form of black magic."
A cold dread pierced Hakan's remorse. He had accused Lucina of being a liar and a deceiver, but the true deception was external. The malicious spell, infused into a simple object, had amplified his curse, twisting his love into paranoid rage. Lucina had been telling the truth when she said, "I can cure your sickness", and it was the healing power she used that ultimately broke the spell's immediate hold.
"Get rid of it immediately," Hakan commanded, his voice steel.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Gillai confirmed.
Hakan realized the terrifying truth: Lucina was both his greatest danger and his only salvation. Her holy power could cure him, but it also made her a target for the enemies who wielded black magic to destroy him.
With a heavy heart, he gave his next order. "I should go and see her."
He found her in her own chamber, resting silently in bed, her silver hair spread against the pillows. An attendant was there, who immediately TURNed to greet him.
"She still hasn't awoken yet…" the attendant murmured.
Hakan dismissed the attendant and approached the bed. He gently placed his hand on Lucina's forehead.
"I got caught up in a malicious spell and ended up hurting you, Lucina," he whispered, his voice choked with regret. He made a vow to himself: he would find the person who cursed the candle and nearly ruined everything. But first, he had to protect his Dragon Queen.
Suddenly, a guard ran into the hall outside, his voice laced with terror.
A shadow of pure, dangerous rage crossed Hakan's face.
"THE HATCHLING FORTRESS IS UNDER ATTACK!"
The enemy who wielded the black magic had made their next move, and Hakan knew the assault was directly related to the holy power Lucina possessed and had just exposed.