THE HEIRESS VOW - Chapter 229

Chapter 229: Chains of Desperation, The Unyielding Abyss
The temple walls quaked under the weight of ancient magic. Shadows slithered like vipers, entwining Lucas’s bloodied form as he gasped against the cold stone altar. The black tendrils pressed tighter around his chest, each pulse a knife twisting into Ava’s soul. The sorceress’s laughter ricocheted off the jagged walls, venomous and unrelenting.

“You see, little Ava,” the sorceress crooned, her voice a melody of contempt. “You were never meant to be the hero of this story. Just the tragedy.”

Ava strained against the dark magic binding her, every movement like fire raking her veins. Her heart pounded, a war drum in the chaos, as Lucas’s ragged breath grew fainter.

“Lucas!” she choked, desperation cracking her voice. “Stay with me! Please!”

He managed to turn his head, his once-bright eyes dull with pain but still fixed on hers. “Ava…” His voice was barely a whisper, yet it struck her like a thunderclap. “Don’t… let her break you.”

The sorceress stepped closer, her flowing black robes trailing behind her like spilled ink. Her hands, wreathed in flickering shadows, hovered above Lucas’s chest. “Break her?” she mocked, smiling coldly. “She’s already broken. Look at her—helpless, useless. All her fire snuffed out.”

Ava’s fists clenched against the invisible chains holding her down. “You’re wrong,” she hissed, the words trembling with suppressed fury. “I’m still here.”

The sorceress arched a brow, then chuckled. “Still here? For what? To watch him die? To mourn another failure? You can’t save him, child. You couldn’t even save yourself.”

The words hit like daggers, carving into the wounds Ava tried to keep buried. She gritted her teeth, her mind clawing through memories—of battles fought, lives lost, and the fragile bond she had shared with Lucas. A bond now fraying before her eyes.

The sorceress leaned closer to Lucas, her voice dripping with mock tenderness. “You should’ve chosen someone stronger, boy. Someone worthy of standing beside you.”

“Stop!” Ava screamed, tears burning trails down her cheeks as she thrashed against her bonds. The magic retaliated, searing through her like molten iron. She bit back a cry, her resolve hardening.

The sorceress turned her gaze back to Ava, her eyes gleaming with cruelty. “Oh, Ava, do you think you can defy me? Save him? You can’t even save yourself from the truth.”

“What truth?” Ava spat, struggling to keep her voice steady.

“That he never trusted you,” the sorceress said, smirking. “Lucas knew all along the price he’d pay, and he didn’t tell you. He chose to bear it alone. He didn’t believe you were strong enough.”

The ground beneath Ava shifted, her resolve cracking under the weight of the sorceress’s words. Her gaze flicked to Lucas, searching for denial in his eyes. But all she found was pain and guilt.

“Is it true?” Ava’s voice quivered, raw with betrayal. “Lucas… did you know?”

His lips parted, his voice barely audible. “I… didn’t want to lose you.”

Ava recoiled as if struck. “You didn’t trust me.”

“I was trying to protect you!” he gasped, anguish threading his words. “I thought—”

“You thought I was too weak!” Ava’s voice rose, her anger a wildfire consuming her grief. “You lied to me. Again.”

The sorceress clapped her hands, delight dancing in her eyes. “Ah, the sweet taste of betrayal. Isn’t it exquisite, Ava? To see the truth? He never believed in you.”

Ava’s chest tightened, the pain threatening to drown her. But beneath it, a spark of defiance flickered. She wouldn’t let the sorceress win. Not like this.

“I don’t need his belief to prove my strength,” Ava said, her voice low and fierce. “I’ll end this.”

The sorceress’s smile faltered, replaced by a calculating glare. “Bold words. But are you ready to pay the price?”

Dark energy surged through the temple, the air growing heavy with the scent of sulfur. The sorceress raised her arms, summoning a vortex of shadow that spiraled around Lucas’s body. “The abyss hungers, Ava. If you want him, take his place. Or let him go.”

The ultimatum hung in the air, suffocating Ava with its weight. She glanced at Lucas, her heart a storm of love, rage, and despair. Could she give everything for him, even after his lies? Could she let him go, knowing it would break her?

“Choose, Ava,” the sorceress taunted. “Him or yourself. You can’t have both.”

Ava’s breath came in shallow gasps, her mind racing. Her fingers trembled as she stretched toward Lucas, her voice shaking. “There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t,” the sorceress snapped, her patience fraying. “Make your choice, or the abyss will make it for you.”

The black tendrils surged toward Lucas’s heart, their advance relentless. Ava screamed, a wordless cry of rage and desperation. Her bindings cracked under the force of her emotion, splintering into shards of light.

The sorceress’s eyes widened in shock. “Impossible—”

Ava lunged forward, magic blazing from her fingertips as she hurled herself into the abyss’s grasp. Shadows enveloped her, icy claws tearing at her very being. Pain lanced through her soul, but she pushed through, her heart screaming one name.

“Lucas!”

She reached him, her hands clasping his bloodied wrists. His eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, the storm around them seemed to still.

“You shouldn’t have,” he murmured, his voice breaking. “Not for me.”

“I couldn’t lose you,” she replied, tears streaming as she choked on her words. “Not like this.”

The abyss roared, its tendrils lashing out, furious at Ava’s defiance. She gritted her teeth, summoning every ounce of strength she had left.

“You want power?” she shouted, her voice trembling but unyielding. “Take mine!”

The tendrils surged toward her, coiling around her chest like chains. She gasped, her vision dimming as the abyss tore into her memories. Images of Lucas—his laugh, his touch, his love—flashed before her eyes, fading one by one.

“No!” Lucas’s cry shattered the air, his strength surging as the ancient mark on his chest ignited. A brilliant light erupted, consuming the shadows in a blinding wave.

The sorceress screamed, her form dissolving into ash as the light engulfed her. The temple shuddered, the walls crumbling as the abyss recoiled, banished by Lucas’s sacrifice.

When the light faded, Ava collapsed, her body trembling with exhaustion. She blinked, disoriented, as Lucas knelt beside her, his hands cupping her face.

“Ava?” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Her eyes searched his, confusion clouding her gaze. “Who… are you?”

His heart shattered, but he forced a smile. “Someone who loves you.”

The ruins trembled one last time, the echoes of their struggle fading into silence. And as the abyss retreated, Ava’s memories lay scattered, her heart a blank canvas waiting to be painted anew.