🚨INTENSE CHAPTER AHEAD🚨

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Reader POV

I looked at myself in the mirror. It was a simple yet elegant dress that my mother wore the night she was proposed to.

Tonight, the royal ruling family House Kira was holding a ball in honor of my 18th birthday.

I had no idea why, but I wasn't complaining.

Probably because it's also St. Valentine's Day.

I hated my birthday.

Why it had to be on the day of love of all days.

Something I didn't understand fully.

I was escorted to the royal palace with a necklace Klaus gave me hanging around my neck.

Langris was standing by his family as I entered by myself, not wanting to be caught with anyone aside from myself.

I bit my lip and smiled at everyone as they wished me a happy birthday.

I really didn't want to be here, but I had to.

"You look beautiful Lady (y/n)," Charlotte nodded to me.

"Thank you." I rolled down my long white satin gloves, making sure I wouldn't have to touch anyone.

With my emotions on steroids and the prospect of telling Klaus the truth in my future, I had to calm myself down.

It's tonight.

I must tell him everything!

I didn't want to lead Klaus on and find out himself.

I wanted to be the one to tell him.

"Your Ladyship," a maid bowed to me. "Another present has arrived here for you."

"Thank you," I nodded to her.

She left the area, almost running into Solid Silva who was holding a drink in his hands.

"Happy birthday," he said to me, knowing we were no longer on friendly terms.

"Yes...thank you." I turned away from him, only to see Langris bowing and holding his hand out.

"May I have this dance?"

I took his hand, ignoring the hurt look on my former best friend's face.

He lead me onto the dance floor where the king himself was dancing with his wife, Nozel dancing with his sister Nebra, and Finral dancing with Lady Finesse.

"You look beautiful," he said to me.

I only smiled as it would reflect badly on myself if I didn't.

He noticed I wasn't speaking and scoffed behind a charming smile.

"You really should speak more." He dipped me, moving along to the music. "Especially since you'll be my wife soon enough."

Hell no!

I'd rather die than marry you.

When the dance ended, I got out of his tight grasp and spotted Klaus, walking up to him.

"We need to talk," I said to him urgently.

"Sure?"

I grabbed his hand and we left towards the maze.

I locked eyes with Langris briefly and saw his expression.

He was mad and that was an understatement.

And only then did I especially feel the urge to tell Klaus the truth.

"What's going on?" Klaus asked me as I dragged him into the maze garden underneath the moonlight.

"I need to tell you something," I said to him. "Please, just let me speak without any interruptions. Then I'll allow you to leave if you so wish to do so."

He grew silent, feeling the sense of urgency and a somber undertone.

"You know me as (y/n) (l/n), noblewoman and head of House (l/n). I'm the second child of Lord Maxillion (l/n) and Lady Claire (l/n). I have an older brother who went missing twelve years ago. He's Shielo (l/n), the first heir. Seeing he was gone and we found a pool of his blood in the Dusklight Forest, my father decided I would be the next heir as my mother had died giving birth to me."

"So he made a pact with the Silvas at first to marry their second son Solid, but Acier turned down the proposal before it became official. Then my father made a pact that I would marry the one and only Langris Vaude. And he especially wanted to see us get along as all my ancestors had died young. It's a curse."

"A curse made over 600 years ago. I'll explain that in a bit. Anyways, my father wanted to see Langris and I get along and we did, but a very long time ago. When my father died two years ago at the age of 35 as anyone with the blood of House (l/n) dies that young, Langris and I were far less than acquaintances. He's done horrible things, Klaus. Unspeakable things. And I can't get out of this pact because his parents are alive to see that we'll be wed on his 21st birthday."

"And now, the curse. I'm a direct descendant of the Witch Queen since one of my ancestors had a son with her. The father died at 35, the age the witch queen cursed us all to die at. And since then, our family was banished from ever entering the Witches Forest unless she wants us to die even younger."

"And since my family has rare magic, shadow magic, we cannot just simply stop our bloodline, especially since we protect the kingdom from the underworld spirits. So that's why all of my ancestors married young and made sure they have a son before they're dead. And usually the widowed woman never remarried to keep bloodlines intact, but it's complicated. I never quite understood it."

"I saw my father's body when he died. Bloody flower petals were in his mouth and in his hands as my ancestor gave the witch queen those flowers. It's a beautifully tragic death. And not one of my ancestors escaped the curse. Not any of them in the last 600 years."

"And I'm sure you heard I used to walk around with a blackened blindfold around my eyes. I did so because I couldn't stan the sun. It just seemed too bright. I was used to and comfortable with the shadow realm. It's more nice there. It feels more like home, even now that I'm older."

Klaus nodded, seeing I was done speaking. "So am I supposed to care? (y/n), if you told me about the curse earlier, I wouldn't care. What matters now is making memories and also getting you to break that stupid pact with that fucker Vaude."

"You're not mad...?"

"Of course I am! But not at you. At that fuckwad Langris Vaude." He hugged me tightly. "(y/n), I want to marry you. I know it's too soon, but let's do it. He can't do shit if you're already married."

"Klaus-"

"(y/n) (l/n), you deserve happiness. I only wish to be the one to give it to you," he said. "If you would allow me to be so selfish."

I nodded. "Then let's get married. Right here, right now."

"Too bad you won't be able to,"

Both of us leapt and saw Langris himself with his magic surounding him.

"Move aside, Lunettes," Langris spat. "And I'll thank you to piss off. Don't you dare touch my fiance."

Klaus squeezed my hand and was about to say something when I pushed him into my shadow domain where he'd be safe.

"Your battle is with me," I glared at Langris. "I hate you. And you hate me. So why are you so insistant on hurting Klaus?"

The man only scoffed. "Does it ever occur to you that I hate sharing what's mine?"

"Did it ever occur to you that I'm not yours?" I fired back. "And I never will be."

"You say that, yet I own your first everything, aside from time. But that will be corrected soon enough." He moved in front of me, kicking me into a portal which I slipped through the shadow domain to where Klaus was, knowing I'd be safe there.

Especially since Langris didn't have shadow magic.

"(y/n)!" Klaus looked angry. "Why did you push me into the shadow domain?"

"It's the only way to protect you," I said. "Otherwise, he'd kill you."

"He's a noble, (y/n). He wouldn't tarnish his reputation like that," Klaus argued. "Now. Let's go and beat his fucking ass."

I didn't want to, but a portal appeared, carrying Langris's magic with it.

"HUH?" I tried to close the portals, but he had the upper hand as a portal mage while I controlled the shadows.

Langris reached in and slit Klaus's eye, dragging him out of my domain and I quickly exited in time, slitting Langris's cheek with a sharp physical blade that I always carried with me.

"Don't you dare harm him!" I screamed as a new spell appeared in my grimoire. "Shadow Magic: Spirit of Hades!"

A dark holographic crown with seven cruel spikes appeared on my head and wings of a harpy appeared on my back, armor taking over my body along with a huge sword that appeared in my hand.

"You think you're so much better than I because you're a powerful man, Langris! But you are a fucking coward! A disgrace to House Vaude!"

"Shut your mouth!" He screeched. "You know nothing about me! I'll kill you!"

"Then do it! The curse will take me anyway!"

Langris didn't, but instead, nine holes appeared on Klaus's body, Langris's magic exiting through the other side.

I moved quickly, but Langris canceled my shadow portals and moved towards me. "Let him go!"

"Then just fucking submit to me!"

"Never!"

"Then he shall die." Langris kicked Klaus over to me and I caught him.

"(y/n)-"

"Don't you speak!" I hissed, retreating with him in my arms, speeding towards the palace.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as blood poured out of his mouth. "I've always wanted to be your happiness, but now I'm your sadness. I love you, (y/n)-"

And a huge portal bashed his face into nonexistence, his glasses being the final thing that dropped to the ground.

"KLAUS!" I screamed, falling to the floor as more holes appeared in his body, Langris moving towards me slowly with a smirk on his face. "YOU BASTARD!"

"Shut the fuck up." He kicked my face hard, pushing me away from Klaus and using his magic to further destroy the nobleman's body.

I felt so much pain in my jaw, but quickly healed it up, anger and sorrow in my heart for losing someone I cared about and came to love.

"You took everything away from me!" I screamed. "I'd rather die than marry you!"

But before I could attack Langris, I was restrained by Nozel.

"Lady (y/n)," he said sternly. "You will not kill your fiancé!"

"Nozel, he killed Klaus! He killed my boyfriend and best friend!"

"As he has the right to do so," Nozel said calmly. "You know the laws. If a lover should be in a relationship with someone other than their husband or fiancé, the latter has every right to kill the other."

Langris smirked at me and squeezed my jawline. "You see, (y/n)? You can't escape me."

He walked back into the hall, people gathering outside as they heard fighting.

"Nozel, let go of me!" I screamed.

"(y/n)-"

I slipped out of his grasp and picked up Klaus's glasses, staring at Nozel one last time. "I thought we were friends, Nozel. But tonight proved me wrong. As usual. You're disgusting."

I slipped through the shadow realm and stayed there for weeks, grieving over Klaus's death.

I managed to summon him through my magic and he seemed saddened but told me something.

"Let my death be guidance to you," he said as he sat down in front of me. "You must continue to fight, (n/n).

"But-"

"You must," he said. "It's the only way you'll know freedom and be happy. I'm only sorry I can walk with you in the shadows and not physically."

"But don't be sad forever. Smile because of the memories we shared together. You will never walk alone, (y/n). I promise you that."

I nodded and left the shadow domain, my clothes dirtied a bit.

I made my way back to the Golden Dawn and people gave me looks of pity as word must've spread as to what happened.

"I'm so sorry for what happened," Mimosa said.

"Don't be," I said to her as I made my way to the captain's office.

I had visited Julius's office before and requested a special mission my friend Nacht Faust took.

I handed William the paperwork and he signed it.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Certainly," I said. "I'm afraid I can't unlock my full potential if I continue to stay here."

"Then I can't say anything more. But know if you ever need a home, we are here for you because you are our family." He stood up and I saluted to him.

"Yes, Captain."

I almost ran into Langris on the way out, but thankfully I left quickly.

I got all my things from my room and put them
in my shadow domain, taking one last look around and leaving two notes; one for Yuno and the other for Mimosa.

I'm leaving this shitty country.

Where they don't even acknowledge murder when they see it.

Nacht Faust met me at the castle and Langris was there.

"Oi! Where the fuck do you think you're going with that ruffian peasant?!"

I glared at Langris. "None of your business."

"I have every right as your fiancé-"

Nacht rolled his eyes and we went to the shadow domain, not wanting to deal with him.

"Are you sure about this?" Nacht asked me as we approached the border to the Grand Mana Zone.

"Positive. I can get the Witch Queen's help. And even if she rejects me because of my family, I'll be dead in less than 17 years."

And we were off, not knowing I was making the greatest mistake.

One where a bloodbath would occur.

____________

Yuh.