Where Ashes and Oaths Collide

Chapter 15: Darkness Spreading

The sounds of Corrompido guards stirring outside the tent instantly snapped Luz’s mind back to reality– six years of conditioned reflexes kicking in immediately. His body tensed instinctively while his crimson eyes darted toward Amelia still sleeping peacefully in his arms. ‘s**t, s**t, s**t, s**t’ he glanced down at himself– still naked except for the white ribbon around his wrist– and then at her equally undressed form curled against him. The evidence of their night together was obvious everywhere– dried c*m stained the bedrolls, marks on both their bodies from passionate lovemaking. Luz’s heart hammered against his ribs as panic set in briefly before being ruthlessly suppressed.

Carefully– so carefully he barely breathed– he began disentangling himself from Amelia without waking her. As he stood up her noticed black veins on her lowed abdomen, right below her belly button. The marks were like thin spider webs. The sight of it sent a cold wave of dread through his entire being. His movements froze as he stared at the dark spiderweb-like marks marring her skin– the undeniable sign that the darkness within him has begun to bind itself to her during their intimate moments. “Gods no,” he breathed out hoarsely, dropping to his knees beside her. His crimson eyes burned with a mixture of horror and possessive fury as he traced the black veins with trembling fingertips.

“You shouldn’t have this,” he whispered urgently, his voice cracking with emotion. “I am the only one who was supposed to be marked by this curse– you were never meant to be touched by it.” The black veins on his own chest flared violently in response to his distress– sensing both the threat to Amelia and the satisfaction of having claimed another soul. Amelia stirred slowly at the feeling of his fingertips tracing the black veins on her lower abdomen. Her green eyes fluttered open and as soon as she saw Luz, a lazy smile spread across her face. “Morning,” she muttered tiredly, then she noticed his worried facial expression and frowned slightly. “What is wrong?”

The sight of Amelia’s lazy smile, the sleepy warmth in her voice– it nearly broke Luz. For a fleeting second, the mask of the Corrompido commander cracked entirely. “Nothing is wrong,” he said too quickly, his voice strained. He forced his features back into neutral lines, though the crimson in his eyes flickered dangerously. “Get dressed. We have to leave.” His hands moved automatically to help her sit up, but then he stopped himself abruptly– remembering the black veins on her lower abdomen. The mark was a brand of ownership he never wanted to give her. “Don’t look at it,” he commanded softly but firmly, turning away to pull on a pair of trousers and a worn white shirt with jerky motions.

“Look at what?” Amelia asked confused. Her gaze roamed down to her lower abdomen, where Luz’s eyes kept flickering to and when she spotted the black veins, her fingers traced the markings. Luz picked up a chain mail shirt with both hands, the metal links whispering and clinking together, then lowers it over his head. The chain mail draped heavily, settling across his shoulders like a liquid weight. He adjusted it by shifting side to side, letting gravity pull it into place then smooths it down over his torso. “Oh, it is like yours but… cuter,” Amelia said casually. Then she looked up at Luz who was bracing one foot on a low stool next to the wooden table, as she asked curiously, “Where are we going?” Luz’s fingers worked efficiently despite the stiffness of the material.

The casual dismissal of the black veins on her lower abdomen sent a fresh wave of protective rage through Luz as he strapped on a greave around his shin and pulled the leather straps tight and buckled them, one after another. His jaw clenched so hard it popped audibly as he watched from the corner of his eyes the way she traced those dark veins with such nonchalant acceptance. “Don’t call it cute,” he snapped, his voice low and dangerous, as he repeated the process of strapping plate armour on his other leg. He stood up and tested the balance with a slight bend of the knee, before striding over to Amelia and grabbing her wrist to stop her from touching the black veins anymore.

“That is not something to be proud of. It is poison.” His crimson eyes blazed with intensity as he leaned down close. Forcing her to meet his gaze. “This changes everything now. You are not just a survivor anymore– you are connected to me. To this.” Luz released one of her wrists only to grab her chin roughly instead. “I don’t feel any different,” Amelia said and cupped his cheek. “And is being connected to you really such a bad thing?” the warmth of her hand cupping his cheek sent a jolt through Luz’s entire system– both the man who loved her and the man filled with darkness fighting for control. His jaw relaxed slightly under her touch, crimson eyes searching hers desperately for some sign that she truly understood what this meant.

“It is a curse,” he said quietly but firmly, covering her hand with his own. “It binds you to me– your life force now feeds my darkness. If I die, you die. If I lose control completely, the darkness could consume you alongside me.” Despite his harsh words, Luz couldn’t bring himself to pull away from her touch. The simple contact was anchoring him– to his humanity, to the man he used to be who promised to return safely. “We can’t stay here,” he continued more urgently as shouts grew louder outside the tent. He moved away from her to the breastplate on the wooden table. “Those Corrompido soldiers out there will notice that you have been corrupted eventually.”

He lifted the breastplate carefully, guiding it against his chest while reaching behind himself to secure the straps. There is a brief pause as he feels for the buckles, then a firm pull– leather tightening, metal settling snugly against his body. He inhales once, deeply, adjusting to the restriction, then exhales as if accepting the weight.