THE HEIRESS VOW - Chapter 228

Chapter 228: Abyssal Chains, Broken Bonds
The air thickened with anticipation, every breath Ava took was heavy with the scent of blood, magic, and despair. The storm raged above, splitting the sky like shattered glass, revealing monstrous, writhing forms barely contained behind the clouds. Ava’s eyes, wide and unblinking, remained locked on Lucas. His body, suspended in agony, twitched as the dark tendrils tightened their grip. His breath was shallow, ragged—each one might be his last.

“You know what must be done, Ava,” the sorceress hissed, her voice slithering like poison through the air. Her lips curved into a cruel smile, each word deliberately slow, twisting the knife deeper into Ava’s heart. “If you love him, you will do what’s necessary.”

Her voice was like a melody of seduction and destruction, resonating deep within Ava’s chest. It was true—Lucas had lied, had kept things from her, yet she couldn’t deny the pull she felt toward him. That single, weak breath he still clung to was her anchor, even as the Abyss roared in her blood, threatening to drown them both.

Ava’s hands trembled as she took a step forward, the jagged rocks beneath her feet crumbling with the weight of her choice. Her gaze flickered between the sorceress and Lucas, each of them representing a path—one toward power, the other toward love. The words hung in the stormy air, unspoken yet deafening in her mind: Choose.

“What are you waiting for?” the sorceress taunted, her voice now sharp with impatience. “Do you think he would hesitate to save himself if he were in your place? He deceived you, Ava! He never loved you, not the way I can make you feel.”

Ava flinched, the truth behind those words gnawing at her like a relentless beast. She was no stranger to betrayal. She had been used, discarded, hurt—again and again. But with Lucas… was it different? Could she trust him again, or had his lies already destroyed the fragile bond between them?

As the storm whipped around her, Ava’s heart raced, torn between the agony of her past and the faint glimmer of hope Lucas still represented. The memory of his touch—so tender, so real—clashed with the image of him now, broken, barely alive, dangling at the mercy of a force neither of them could control.

Power. The word echoed in her mind, loud and relentless. Power to end the suffering, to stop being the victim. Power to control her destiny, to never be hurt again. But at what cost?

Lucas’s voice broke through her chaotic thoughts, weak but resolute. “Ava… don’t… let her win. You’re… stronger than this.”

His words were like a lifeline, pulling her back from the edge. She looked at him—really looked at him—and saw the man who had stood beside her through every battle, every heartbreak, and every lie. He wasn’t just her tormentor. He was also her salvation.

“Stronger?” the sorceress sneered, her dark laughter rippling through the air like thunder. “She’s broken, just like you! Weak. Pathetic. She clings to false hope, and you, Lucas, have only made it worse.”

The sorceress’s words twisted inside Ava’s mind, like threads unraveling her resolve. Was she weak? Had Lucas only held her back? She could feel the Abyss pulse beneath her feet, its power coiling around her, offering her an escape from all of this pain.

“I can give you everything,” the sorceress whispered, her eyes gleaming with malevolent delight. “The world will bow before you, Ava. And him? He will be nothing—just a memory, one that fades with time. You don’t need him. You never did.”

Ava’s chest tightened. Everything. The offer was intoxicating, as dark tendrils of magic curled around her fingers, beckoning her to take control, to become what she had always feared. Everything she had ever wanted, but at the cost of everything she had ever loved.

The storm swelled above, darkening the sky until it seemed like night had fallen. Ava’s heart beat in time with the chaotic rhythm of the lightning, each flash illuminating the horrific scene before her: Lucas, fading fast, his face pale and streaked with blood, the sorceress exuding raw, lethal power, and the Abyss—hungry, waiting for her decision.

Lucas coughed, his voice barely a whisper, “I… I never wanted this. Ava, I… I thought I could protect you… from it… from the Abyss.”

His confession cut through her like a dagger. He had known. He had known all along, and still, he had chosen to keep her in the dark. The betrayal was palpable, wrapping around her heart like a vice. She stumbled back, her breath hitching as the weight of his words settled over her.

“You lied to me,” she whispered, her voice trembling with hurt, anger, and disbelief. “All this time… you knew.”

Lucas’s eyes, barely open, pleaded with her. “I… didn’t want to lose you… to this… darkness. I thought… I could bear it alone.”

Ava’s hands clenched into fists. How could he have kept something like this from her? How could he claim to love her while withholding the very thing that could have changed everything between them?

“He deserves to die for his lies,” the sorceress hissed, taking a step closer to Ava, her voice dripping with venom. “He has held you back, Ava. He’s weak. You don’t need him.”

“Don’t need him?” Ava repeated, her voice hollow, yet there was a flicker of doubt. She glanced back at Lucas, his eyes filled with pain and regret, but also love. Could she forgive him? Could she find the strength to let go of this betrayal?

The sorceress saw her hesitation and seized the moment. “This is your chance to be free! Free of lies, free of betrayal, free of him. Choose power, Ava. The Abyss is yours if you want it.”

The wind howled around them, tearing at Ava’s hair and clothes as if the world itself was waiting for her choice. She could feel the Abyss pulling at her, its dark power whispering promises of strength, freedom, and control. But Lucas’s voice echoed in her mind, the last thread keeping her grounded in what was left of her humanity.

“Ava,” he whispered, his voice so faint she could barely hear him over the storm. “Please… don’t lose yourself.”

Her heart shattered at his words. Lose herself? Was that what was happening? If she embraced the Abyss, would she even recognize the person she became?

“You have no more time,” the sorceress hissed, her patience wearing thin. “Make your choice, Ava. Him or power. You cannot have both.”

Ava’s mind raced, her chest tight with the suffocating weight of her decision. Power. Control. Freedom. They were right there, within her grasp. But at the same time, Lucas—the man who had lied, yes, but also the man who had fought for her, cared for her—was slipping away. She could feel the life leaving his body, the Abyss closing in on him, and she knew that if she didn’t act soon, he would be lost forever.

But was he worth saving?

The storm surged, and the sorceress let out a triumphant laugh as Ava’s hand hovered over the swirling darkness of the Abyss. “Yes, that’s it,” she whispered, her voice silky with anticipation. “Take the power, Ava. End this once and for all.”

Ava’s fingers twitched, and for a moment, she was tempted. So tempted. The power was so close, so tangible. She could feel it pulsing beneath her skin, waiting for her to claim it.

But then she looked at Lucas, at the man who had stood by her through everything, despite his lies, despite his mistakes. And in that moment, she realized something.

Power wasn’t what she needed. Power wasn’t what would save her.

Love would.

With a sudden, fierce resolve, Ava stepped back from the Abyss, her heart pounding with the weight of her choice. She would not lose herself to the darkness. She would not become the sorceress’s puppet. And she would not let Lucas die—not like this, not because of her.

“No,” she whispered, her voice trembling but firm. “I won’t do it.”

The sorceress’s face twisted with rage, her eyes glowing with dark magic. “You fool!” she screamed, her voice rising above the roar of the storm. “You’ve thrown away everything! You could have been great!”

“I don’t want to be great,” Ava replied, her voice steady despite the tears streaming down her face. “I just want to be me.”

With a final, furious scream, the sorceress lunged at Ava, her hands crackling with dark energy. But Ava was ready. She raised her hand, and with a burst of pure, raw emotion, she unleashed a wave of magic so powerful it knocked the sorceress back, sending her crashing into the stone pillars behind them.

The sorceress screamed, her body flickering with dark energy as the Abyss began to swallow her whole. “This isn’t over!” she shrieked, her voice echoing through the crumbling ruins as she disappeared into the darkness.

Ava fell to her knees, exhausted and trembling, but alive. She had made her choice. And for the first time in a long time, she felt at peace with it.

Lucas lay motionless, his body still and cold, but his chest still rose and fell with shallow breaths. He was alive. Barely, but alive.

Ava crawled to his side, her heart aching with relief as she pulled him into her arms. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I’m so sorry.”

Lucas’s eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, they were filled with pain. But then he smiled, weak but genuine, and whispered back, “You saved me.”

Ava held him close, her tears mingling with the rain as the storm began to fade. “No,” she whispered, her voice full of love and regret. “You saved me.”