Thorns of Obsession
---
The message on the wall wouldn't leave my mind.
THE VESSEL BELONGS TO US.
The blood was still wet.
Fresh.
---
The ruined crystal chamber felt colder now, as if something invisible had crawled into the Hollow and poisoned the air itself.
Riven stood motionless beside me.
Too motionless.
The shadows around his feet twisted unnaturally, responding to emotions he wasn't showing on his face.
---
Me (quietly):
"Who's the First King?"
---
Lucen looked pale.
For several seconds, he didn't answer.
Then finally—
---
Lucen:
"The first ruler of the Crimson bloodline."
---
Riven's jaw tightened immediately.
Like he hated even hearing the title.
---
Lucen:
"The man who created the curse."
---
A chill ran through me.
---
Me:
"I thought the curse came from some ancient power."
---
Lucen:
"It did."
He looked toward the blood-covered wall.
---
Lucen:
"But the First King welcomed it."
---
The Hollow trembled faintly beneath our feet.
Far below us, something rumbled.
Alive.
---
Lucen led us back toward the central chamber while explaining.
The deeper we walked, the dimmer the lights became.
---
Lucen:
"Centuries ago, the Crimson Kingdom was dying. War. Famine. Plague."
He paused.
---
Lucen:
"So the king made a deal with an entity buried beneath the earth. It offered power. Immortality. Control."
---
Me:
"And he accepted."
---
Lucen nodded grimly.
---
Lucen:
"At first, it looked like salvation. The kingdom flourished. Enemies disappeared overnight. The royal bloodline became feared across entire continents."
His expression darkened.
---
Lucen:
"But the power demanded something in return."
---
Riven finished the sentence quietly.
---
Riven:
"Human souls."
---
Silence.
---
I looked at him slowly.
---
Me:
"You already knew."
---
Riven avoided my eyes.
That answer hurt more than words.
---
Lucen:
"The entity fed on obsession. Fear. Violence. Every generation, the Crimson heirs became less human."
He looked directly at Riven now.
---
Lucen:
"Until eventually, the royal family created the Seal bloodline to contain it."
---
I stopped walking.
---
Me:
"So my family was created to clean up yours?"
---
The words came out harsher than I intended.
Riven flinched anyway.
---
Riven:
"I never wanted this for you."
---
I laughed bitterly.
---
Me:
"You keep saying that like it changes anything."
---
The hallway fell silent again.
Because deep down—
We both knew the truth.
Nothing could undo what we'd become tied to.
---
Suddenly, Lucen stopped walking.
Ahead of us stood a massive circular door carved directly into black stone.
Ancient symbols covered its surface.
And in the center—
Was the same crown made of thorns.
---
My chest tightened instantly.
The mark beneath my collar burned painfully.
---
Lucen (quietly):
"This chamber existed long before the Hollow."
---
Riven stepped forward immediately.
---
Riven:
"We're not opening it."
---
But the moment he spoke—
The door began moving on its own.
---
Stone groaned loudly.
Dust rained from above.
And slowly—
The chamber opened.
---
Darkness waited inside.
Not ordinary darkness.
Something deeper.
Something alive.
---
Then a voice echoed through the chamber.
Ancient.
Cold.
Male.
---
Voice:
"…At last."
---
My blood turned to ice.
---
Riven instantly pulled me behind him.
Shadows exploded violently around us.
---
Riven:
"SHOW YOURSELF!"
---
A figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
Tall.
Dressed entirely in black royal robes embroidered with crimson thread.
Silver hair.
Golden eyes.
And a crown of twisted thorns resting upon his head.
---
The First King.
---
He looked almost human.
Almost.
But his smile wasn't.
---
First King:
"You look so much like her."
---
My stomach dropped.
---
Me:
"…Who?"
---
His golden eyes softened slightly.
Almost mournful.
---
First King:
"The first Seal."
---
The room went deathly still.
---
Riven's expression changed instantly.
Shock.
Then horror.
---
Riven:
"No."
---
The First King looked amused now.
---
First King:
"He never told you?"
His gaze shifted toward me.
---
First King:
"The Seal bloodline wasn't created."
A pause.
Then—
---
First King:
"It was stolen."
---
Everything inside me stopped.
---
Me:
"What does that mean?"
---
The First King stepped closer slowly.
His presence alone made the air heavier.
---
First King:
"The first Seal was someone I loved."
---
Riven grabbed my wrist immediately.
Hard.
Like he was afraid I'd disappear.
---
But I couldn't move anyway.
Not while the king's eyes stayed locked onto mine.
---
First King:
"She tried to stop the curse after discovering what I had become."
His smile faded.
---
First King:
"So I bound her soul to my bloodline forever."
---
Horror crawled through me.
---
First King:
"And now… after centuries…"
His gaze darkened slightly.
---
First King:
"You've returned to me."
---
The mark on my chest burned violently.
The room shook.
And for the first time—
I realized something terrifying.
---
The bond between Riven and me…
Might not have started with us at all.
---
[End of Chapter 35]