CHAPTER THREE
1369 Words
BLOODLINE AND BETRAYAL
Victoria had the dream again, but this time, it felt far too real. She was running, barefoot through the same forest. The same icy wind bit at her skin, and the same dark presence chased her relentlessly. But this time, it was faster. Closer. And just as it was about to strike her down, her body ignited with silver light. She screamed and jolted awake in her bed, panting and drenched in sweat.
Moments later, a soft knock tapped on her door.
"Come in," Victoria called, her voice still shaky.
The door opened, and in stepped a breathtaking girl who looked no older than Victoria herself. Slender, poised, and with waist-length hair that shimmered like moonlight. Her voice was soft, angelic.
Victoria’s curiosity grew deeper as strange dreams plagued her sleep, visions of a woman with silver eyes whispering in a tongue she didn’t recognize. She began to question who she truly was and why the relic seemed drawn to her.
In quiet moments, she would stare into the mirror, not recognizing the woman who looked back at her. Was she Evelyn reborn, or someone entirely new?
Icon, too, became restless. He consulted ancient scrolls and private archives locked away for centuries. What he discovered left him shaken, Victoria’s bloodline wasn’t only tied to Evelyn but traced back to an ancient guardian long believed to have vanished.
The revelation cracked the fragile trust between Victoria and Icon.
Secrets threatened to rip them apart, even as a deeper bond, mystical and magnetic, grew between them. In the shadows of truth and deception, both began to question if destiny had brought them together, or betrayal would tear them apart forever.
Moments later, a soft knock tapped on her door.
"Come in," Victoria called, her voice still shaky.
"Good morning, ma'am. My name is Alicia. I'm your personal maid."
Victoria blinked, stunned by the girl’s ethereal beauty. For a moment, she wondered if she was still dreaming.
"Finally, a normal person around this haunted house," she muttered to herself.
"Good morning, Alicia. How are you this morning?" Victoria asked politely.
"I'm very well, thank you, ma'am," Alicia replied with a graceful bow.
"Just wait for me outside. I’ll call you when I need you."
"Of course, ma’am," Alicia said, then gently closed the door behind her.
At breakfast, Victoria sat quietly, barely touching her food. Her silence spoke louder than words, and even though Icon didn’t look her way, she could feel his attention.
He sipped his coffee and stood to leave.
"Can I have a word with you? In private, please," Victoria said, her voice calm but firm.
Icon paused, then replied, "Come to my study in thirty minutes."
Thirty minutes later, Victoria entered the dimly lit study. Heavy books lined the walls and a fire crackled in the hearth. Icon stood by the window, his hands clasped behind his back.
"What is really going on in this house?" she demanded.
"What do you mean?" he replied, not turning around.
"I’ve been hunted, having... dreams. Strange dreams. Ever since I got here. And last night it felt like I was about to die."
"You had another one?" he asked, finally facing her.
Victoria stepped back, startled. "So you knew? You knew and didn’t say anything? You are too strange for my liking"
He sighed. "Sit down. There’s something I need to tell you."
Victoria hesitated but sat across from him.
"Evelyn wasn’t just someone I loved. She was a Guardian, born from an ancient bloodline, sworn to protect something powerful. A relic. It was believed to have been destroyed... but it’s awakening again."
"What does that have to do with me?" Victoria asked, her eyes narrowing.
"We believe you may be its next chosen vessel."
She stood up quickly. "A vessel? Like... to carry it? Or protect it?"
"Both."
"Why me?"
"I searched for years to find anyone connected to Evelyn’s bloodline. And you match every genetic marker we have on record."
“What is really going on, I've been asking this question for the longest but no valid response” asked Victoria
"Do you trust me?" he asked suddenly.
Victoria frowned. "Do I have a choice?"
Without answering, he walked to the far wall and pressed a hidden panel. A section of the wall slid open, revealing a concealed chamber.
"Follow me."
They entered the room. At the center was a pedestal with a glowing silver orb hovering just above it.
"Touch it," he said.
"What is it?"
"Just trust me."
Victoria hesitated, then reached out. The moment her fingers brushed the orb, the room disappeared.
A blinding vision struck her. She saw Evelyn, her face full of fear and fierce determination as she shielded Icon from a monstrous, shadowy entity. Flames consumed her, and her scream echoed in Victoria’s ears.
She gasped and staggered back, tears streaking down her face.
"You’ve seen everything, That was how she died," Icon said quietly. "Protecting me."
Victoria said nothing. Her heart was racing.
She returned to her room, dazed. She lay on the bed, but sleep wouldn’t come. And when her eyes finally shut, she saw more visions, only this time, they weren’t Evelyn’s memories.
They were hers.
Moments from her childhood she couldn’t explain. People she didn’t recognize. Whispered voices calling her name before she was even born. She began to understand: her connection to this place... to Icon.... was no accident.
Elsewhere in the mansion, Tango the sharp-eyed man always shadowing Icon approached his boss.
"Sire, he’s on the move."
Icon didn’t look up. "Keep an eye on him. And double the wards around Victoria’s quarters."
Tango hesitated. "Are you sure this is wise? Leaving the mansion tonight with only the maids?"
"I want to see what game they’re playing. And more importantly, I want to see what she’s made of."
The betrayal wasn’t just from the enemies they fought; it came from within. A member of Icon’s trusted council had leaked her existence to a rival faction of dark seers who vowed to destroy any descendant of the ancient bloodline.
That night, the house was eerily quiet. Victoria lay still, listening. A strange hum filled the air, like whispered voices trapped inside the walls.
Then, she heard it. A creak outside her door. A shadow under the light. And then,
The door burst open.
Three masked figures rushed in. Victoria screamed and rolled off the bed. One of them reached for her, but the moment he touched her, her body glowed with a silver blaze.
It happened so fast, no one could explain it.
One of the men, curious or maybe foolish, reached out and touched Victoria’s arm. Just a simple, casual graze of fingers against skin. But in that instant, the air in the room changed. Thickened. Trembled.
Victoria’s eyes flared a blinding silver, her breath catching in her throat as an invisible surge of power rippled outward from her chest like a pulse.
Before anyone could react, a violent gust of light exploded from her body.
The men screamed as she flung them across the marble floor, hitting the wall with a sickening thud .Alicia near the doorway was also hurled backwards, as if a force she couldn’t see had rejected their presence altogether.
Victoria collapsed to her knees, gasping. Her skin shimmered for a moment, almost translucent, as if something ancient had risen to the surface.
Alicia ran in just as the energy faded. Her face pale, her voice shaky.
“What just happened?”
Victoria looked up, terrified, not of what they had done to her…
…but of what she might become.
Victoria stood, panting. Her hands were glowing. Her eyes, reflecting the same silver hue as the orb.
Downstairs, Alicia ran into the hallway, alarmed by the crash. She paused, sensing the supernatural energy.
"It has begun," she whispered.
Far away, Icon received a call.
"Sir, the attack failed. She defended herself... with light."
Ikake smiled faintly. "She’s awakening faster than I thought."
Tango looked at him. "What now?"
"Now," Ikake said, "we prepare for war."
In her room, Victoria sat on the floor, still glowing, eyes wide with terror and awe. Everything had changed.
And there was no going back.
- Writer
