Chapter 182: Bound by Shadows

Pain. That was the first sensation Lleus felt, sensing when he opened his eyes. A burning, aching pain that ran through every inch of his body, as if his soul burned. He tried to turn over, but his limbs were leaden, numb, as if chains invisible bound him. And then he remembered. Reika. Ariadne. The Void. His eyes snapped open fully, and he inhaled sharply. The air here was thick, dense with something unnatural. He was still in the Void, but… different. The vast, endless nothingness had changed. The shadows around him pulsed, whispering in a language he didn't understand. He sat up with a grunt, his body protesting the movement. Where was Reika? 'You're awake." The voice slithered toward him from the darkness, smooth and taunting. Lleus turned around. Ariadne. She was a step or two behind, her form wrapped in black flowing robes, her violet eyes blazing with triumph. The shadows that adhered to her writhed and twisted like some beast, tendrils wrapping around her arms, her legs, her hands. She was no longer just a werewolf queen—she was something more. Something unnatural. Lleus's growl resonated deep within his throat. "Where is Reika?" Ariadne snorted. "Safe." A step further, and night crept behind her. "For now." Lleus struggled against what was holding him, but his body would not budge. He could feel the Void pressing down on him, seeping into his pores like poison. Ariadne's head was tilted at a rakish angle. "I have to admit, I didn't think you'd comply. But so. poetic." She sank down onto one knee before him, her eyes afire. "The great Alpha, marching into the shadows for his mate." "Not your own, Ariadne." Lleus's voice was bitter, furious. Ariadne laughed only. "But she may be." Lleus growled. "Not on my dead body." Ariadne leaned in closer, her head inches from his so he could see the ungodly hunger burn in her eyes. "That can be accomplished." The Shackles of the Void Lleus balled his fists. He had to get out of there. He had to find Reika. His wolf raged inside him, but something was. wrong. The bond was distant, a heavy mist that clung between them. Ariadne watched him closely. "Weakening, are you? The Void saps the life, borrows the strength of the unwelcome." She smiled. "But you needn't fight it. You can embrace it." Lleus spat on the ground at her feet. "I'd rather die." Ariadne shrugged. "So dramatic. But you'll have no choice soon." She rose and raised a hand. The shadow around them curled, shifted—coalescing into a massive throne behind her. She snapped her fingers, and dark tendrils wrapped around Lleus's wrists, tightening in a vice grip. "You see," she continued, sounding appallingly syrupy, "the Void is an even space. It gives, and it takes. And right now, it's giving me something extremely convenient." Lleus gritted his teeth. "What are you telling me?" Say it if you want me to continue. Ariadne's grin grew wider. "A trade." The shadows drew back. The air grew heavy. And then—Reika was standing in front of him. She was encircled by the same black tentacles, her body limp, her eyes struggling to open. Lleus's heart sank. "Reika!" She breathed softly, her eyes straining until they locked onto him. "Lleus…" Ariadne's eyes sparkled. "Sentimental, at best." She pushed her hand between them. "But the issue is, dear Alpha. The Void will only allow one of you to escape." Lleus stumbled. Ariadne continued, almost savoring the moment despite being dead. "I can bring one of you back to life. The other will remain here—permanently." Lleus was enraged. "You want me to choose?" Ariadne shrugged. "I request nothing. But the Void? It comes at a cost. One soul is offered up." Reika screamed wildly. "No…" She struggled, but the tendrils did not budge. Lleus's world spun around him. He had fought hell to get to her. He had ventured into the Void itself for her. And this? Reika jerked her head up, her eyes locking onto his. "Don't you dare make a decision for me." Lleus's airway closed up. "Reika—" "I mean it," she sobbed desperately, her voice rising. "You have to go back. You have to be the leader." His heart tore apart in pain. "I'm not leaving you behind." Ariadne smiled. "How charming. But time is not on our side." The shadows around them writhed out of their control. "If no one does anything, the Void will do something." Lleus growled. No. He was not going to allow this to happen. A Desperate Gambit Lleus's mind broke. There has to be an escape from this. A loophole. A weakness. And then he remembered something. The shadows will consume you alive if you stay in here too long. Now Lleus smiled. Those were the words Kael had used to him before the ritual. Lleus took a deep breath, calming his churning emotions. "Ariadne," he whispered, his voice smooth with threat, "You want the power of the Void, don't you?" Ariadne's brow creased. "Of course." Lleus smiled. "Then why negotiate?" Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" Lleus suppressed a smile, despite the anger smoldering in his gut raging to boil over. "You told me the Void comes with a price, didn't you? It claims one of us." Ariadne wrapped her arms over her chest. "Yes." Lleus's gold-colored eyes flashed as he advanced on her. "So what if it claimed someone else instead?" For the first time, Ariadne faltered. Lleus went on. "Your men. Your followers. They are already tainted with darkness. The Void would claim them more readily than either of us." Ariadne's face furrowed. "You're asking me to sacrifice mine?" Lleus shrugged again. "Or you lose Reika for all time. And me." He smiled. "I think you're wanting to hold onto her." Ariadne smiled as well. "You're cunning, Alpha. I'll concede it." She drummed her fingers together, weighing. Then, with a wave of her wrist, the shadows surrounding them twisted in pain. The ground trembled. From the shadows stepped a dozen of the Shadowborn creatures, their forms composed of twisting smoke. Ariadne waved a hand at them lazily. "Very well, Alpha. Let us see if the Void will take this offering." The moment the Shadowborn entered the circle, the ground beneath them collapsed. The Void shrieked in a deafening cry, dragging them in to slam against its endless depths. Lleus felt the shadows stumble, the restraints binding him loosening. Ariadne smiled contentedly as the abominations were devoured whole. "Fascinating," she whispered. She turned on Reika as well. "Looks like you get to live, after all." She clicked her fingers. Shadows let go of Reika, and Lleus caught her before she could fall. She clung to his arms. "You did it… " He placed his forehead on hers. "I'll always find a way." Ariadne exhaled. "Sentimental. Now leave me alone before I change my mind." Shadows tore apart, a wave of light and flame. Lleus didn't even blink—he picked up Reika and marched on through. The Void enveloped them. And as they plummeted into the light, he could've sworn he heard Ariadne's whisper— "This isn't over."