1 3 The Prelude of Revenge

With the malevolent magic of the evil mage coursing through his veins, Alex embarked on a dark and vengeful path. He left the labyrinth behind, the entrance sealing itself as if it had never existed, and made his way toward Cresthaven, the city that had cast him out.

The journey back to the kingdom was fraught with peril, but the newfound power coursing through Alex made him nigh unstoppable. Monsters that once posed a threat to him now cowered before his malevolent presence. He felt invincible, a force of nature bent on vengeance.

As he approached the city of Cresthaven, his heart burned with anger and a thirst for retribution. The heroes who had betrayed him, the bullies who had tormented him, and the kingdom that had exiled him—all would pay for their sins.

In the dead of night, Alex stood at the city's gates, his cloak concealing his malevolent transformation. He watched the guards patrolling the walls, their lanterns casting flickering shadows in the darkness.

"I will start with those who wronged me most," Alex muttered to himself, his voice laced with venom. He had learned the names and locations of his former classmates who had been part of the heroes' party.

His first target was Lucas, the self-appointed leader who had orchestrated his exile. With a silent, sinister grace, Alex slipped past the guards and made his way to Lucas's residence. He stood in the shadows, watching as Lucas slept, unaware of the dark figure lurking nearby.

"Lucas," Alex whispered, his voice carrying a chilling undertone. "You should have never underestimated me."

With a wave of his hand, he summoned the dark magic of the evil mage. Shadows coalesced around Lucas, binding him in a nightmarish web of darkness. Lucas awoke with a gasp, his eyes widening in terror as he realized the malevolent presence that surrounded him.

"You... you're supposed to be gone," Lucas stammered, his voice trembling.

Alex's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Gone, but not forgotten, Lucas. I have returned, and you will pay for your betrayal."

The shadows tightened their grip, and Lucas let out a scream that echoed through the night, a scream filled with the agony of his darkest fears made manifest.

As dawn broke, the city awoke to news of Lucas's mysterious disappearance. Panic and fear spread like wildfire, and whispers of a malevolent force haunting Cresthaven began to circulate.

But Alex was not finished. His vengeance was far from complete. He sought out the other members of the heroes' party, one by one, each meeting ending in their torment and terror.

Amelia, once his only friend among the heroes, was next. She had pleaded for his forgiveness when he confronted her in the dead of night, but the darkness within Alex's heart had no room for mercy.

"You should have stood by my side," he hissed as he unleashed the malevolent magic upon her, her cries echoing through the night.

With each act of vengeance, Alex's lust for power and retribution grew. The bullies who had tormented him in Cresthaven's streets were not spared either. They begged for their lives, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.

Finally, he turned his attention to the kingdom itself. With the dark magic of the evil mage at his command, he unleashed chaos and destruction, sending shockwaves of fear throughout Cresthaven.

The city that had once cast him out now trembled before him, its citizens living in terror of the malevolent force that had returned. Alex had become a figure of dread, a being of darkness and vengeance, and there was no turning back.

As the kingdom of Aetheria descended into chaos, Alex reveled in the havoc he had wrought. His path of revenge had only just begun, and he had no intention of stopping until every wrong had been righted in the most twisted and malevolent way possible.

To be continued...