HEART BOUND

THE CURSE

(Season 1)

CHAPTER 54

Kalen slumped forward, his eyes fading back to their normal forest green. He took a deep breath, his chest heaving with exertion.

Liora lay still, her face peaceful, the poison purged from her system. Zach exhaled, relief washing over him. But his relief was short-lived. Kalen's eyes flickered, and for a moment, Zach saw the demon lurking beneath the surface.

"Ahh....," Kalen growled, his voice barely human. Then, he was gone, vanishing into the shadows like he was never there.

Zach stared at the place Kalen was a while, for a long time. He could not believe what just happened, Kalen had never used his demon powers before. He hates it because any little slip might be the widest crack, for the demon to completely take over. Zach was really shocked that he was willing to use the power to save Liora.

Lucas and Travis had heard about Kalen being dampier, but they have never seen the demon side of him. This was the first, it was the most terrifying experience of their lives.

The room was heavy with the weight of what had just transpired. Zach's gaze lingered on the spot where Kalen had vanished a bit longer, his mind reeling with questions. What did this mean? Had Kalen finally crossed a line he'd been trying to avoid? The thought sent a shiver down Zach's spine.

Lucas and Travis exchanged a wide-eyed glance, their faces pale.

"Boss..." Lucas began, his voice barely above a whisper. "What... what just happened?"Travis shook his head, his eyes still fixed on the spot where Kalen had disappeared.

"I've never seen anything like that before. He's always been so... controlled."Zach's expression was grim.

"He's been fighting it for years. The demon, it's a part of him, and he's been trying to keep it locked away. But..."Lucas's eyes widened further.

"But he's getting weaker, isn't he? The more he uses his powers, the more the demon takes over."Zach shook his head , his jaw clenched.

"it the opposite actually, he's getting too strong beyond his control and that is not.... good..."The room fell silent, the weight of Zach's words hanging in the air like a threat. Lucas and Travis exchanged a worried glance, their faces etched with concern.

"He's getting too strong?" Lucas repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. "What do you mean?"Zach's expression was grim.

"The demon, it's growing stronger, feeding off Kalen's power. He's struggling to keep it in check, and... I think he's losing."Travis frowned.

"But, isn't that the opposite of what we've been told? I thought the more he used his powers, the weaker he'd get?"Zach shook his head.

"That's what we wanted everyone to believe. But the truth is, the demon's power is growing, and Kalen's losing control. If it takes over..."The implications hung in the air, unspoken but understood. The room fell silent once more, the only sound the soft breath from Liora. Lucas's voice was barely audible.

"What can we do?"Zach's jaw was set.

"We get Liora safe, and we figure out how to stop Kalen before it's too late. And call Rhine back from Ravenswood, we need to know who did this....... It has to a very strong witch for the power to be so intense" Zach wasn't going to spear who ever was behind Liora's attack......The determination in Zach's voice was palpable.

"Get Rhine on the phone, now. Tell her to drop everything and get back here ASAP."Lucas nodded, already pulling out his phone.

"I'll get her on it, boss."Lucas said stepping away to make the call. Travis frowned.

"You think it's a witch, sir?"Travis's question made Zach's eyes narrowed.

"Has to be. The magic used on Liora... it's dark, twisted. Not something just anyone could pull off."The room fell silent as Lucas spoke into his phone, his voice hushed. After a moment, he nodded.

"Rhine's on her way, boss. She's gonna meet us at the safehouse."Zach nodded, his mind racing. Zach nodded in response and left the room, but not after staring at the sleeping figure on the bed.

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When Kalen disappeared from Liora's room, he reappeared in the secret room in his studys. He was barely holding on to his last string of control as he struggled to put the chains on. The pain he was feeling was soul splitting.

He managed to put the chains on but the demon's struggle to break free was pushing down on him unbearably.

Kalen's chest heaved with ragged breaths as he leaned against the cold stone wall, the chains rattling with each labored movement. The demon raged within him, its fury and pain coursing through his veins like acid. He gled his teeth, sweat dripping from his brow, as he fought to keep it locked away.

The room was dimly lit, the only sound the creaking of the old chains and Kalen's tortured breathing. He slid down the wall, his legs giving out beneath him, and landed with a thud on the cold floor.

"Not... yet," he growled, his voice strained. "Not... now."

The demon's roar echoed in his mind, a deafening scream of fury and frustration. Kalen's eyes squeezed shut, his body shaking with the effort to keep it contained.

The chains creaked and groaned, the metal straining against the demon's power. Kalen's grip on reality was tenuous at best, his mind reeling from the pain and the struggle.

As the minutes ticked by, the demon's struggles began to intensify, its power surging through Kalen's veins like a living thing. He gled his teeth, his vision blurring, as he fought to stay in control...

And then, just as it seemed like the demon would break free, the chains held. Kalen slumped forward, his body exhausted, his mind numb. The demon's roar faded into a distant growl, its presence still felt but temporarily subdued.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Kalen's chest began to rise and fall with slow, deliberate breaths. He was still trapped, but he'd managed to regain a fragile hold on his control.

Kalen's eyes snapped open, the sound of her name echoing in his mind like a prayer. His chest heaved with a mixture of shock and longing as he stared into the darkness, the memory of Liora's face etched in his mind.

The chains rattled softly as he shifted, his movements cautious, as if he feared disturbing the fragile balance within him. The demon's presence was still a low hum in the back of his mind, but for a moment, it was Liora's face that filled his thoughts.

He saw her standing tall, her eyes filled with concern, not fear. She'd seen him at his worst, and she hadn't fl away. Kalen's expression twisted, a mix of emotions warring within him.

Why had she stayed? Didn't she know what he was capable of? The thought sent a pang through his chest, a feeling he'd never experienced before.

"Liora..." he whispered again, the sound barely audible.

The darkness seemed to vibrate with the intensity of his emotions, the shadows twisting and writhing like living things. Kalen's eyes closed, his grip on the chains tightening as he struggled to regain control. But for a moment, he'd felt something else. Something... human.

Kalen's eyes snapped open, his expression twisted in a mixture of shock and confusion. The memory of the kiss lingered, a jolt of electricity that had momentarily short-circuited the demon's hold.

The chains creaked as he sat up, his mind reeling with the implications. How had she done it? The demon had been riding the edge of control, and then... nothing. It was as if the kiss had slammed the brakes on its momentum, leaving Kalen gasping in the sudden silence.

He lifted a hand to his lips, his fingers brushing against the spot where Liora's had touched. The touch sent a shiver down his spine, and for a moment, he felt... almost normal.

The demon's presence was still there, lurking in the shadows, but it was... subdued. Kalen's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with possibilities. Could it be? Could she be the key to controlling the demon?

He had felt it. How restless the demon become when ever she was around. How did Lara suddenly got replaced in his head?

TBC