Chapter 17: Raziel.

WRITER'S POV

“Ric?” Luana called to him, taking a step back. He moved closer to her, taking slow, steady steps.

"You naive little witch. Do you really think he'll change?"

In the next second, he had his hand around her neck as he held her up.

His red eyes glared.

“The prophecy will be fulfilled. Only demons will rule the world.”

Luana gasped for air as his hold on her neck grew tighter. She couldn't use her magic—couldn't break free.

Even her golden witch powers weren't working.

She felt so helpless. Something was strange. She had seen him in his primal form before, but he wasn't like this.

“R... Ric,” she called out, barely a whisper.

He flashed a devilish grin.

“Your demon boyfriend can't hear you.”

Luana kicked at him, but it was futile. Her vision became blurry, as though she was losing consciousness.

“Hey, Ric, check out these—”

The door opened, and Stefano entered the room. The scene before him made his eyes go wide.

“Oh no. Fuck.”

He immediately conjured chains and aimed them at Ric’s neck, making him drop Luana.

“Luana!” Stefano called. She had fallen unconscious.

Stefano turned to him. “You bastard.”

“Is that any way to talk to your brother?” Ric said as he struggled to free himself from the chains.

Stefano growled, anger evident on his face.

“Sire, please, can you go through—”

Harry dropped the documents he was holding at what was portrayed before him.

He quickly locked the door and also conjured chains to hold Ric in place.

“Raziel.”

The white-haired man grinned.

“Haven't seen you in a long time, Harry.”

“Where is the king?” Harry asked, frustration and anger evident in his voice.

“Who knows? Maybe I killed him this time.”

Stefano tightened the chains more. They were meant to be painful, but Raziel just laughed.

“These puny things won't hold me very soon.”

Fear consumed Harry and Stefano.

Raziel, Riccardo's split personality, was a very powerful and ruthless demon.

Sometimes he would have full control of Riccardo's body and use it to commit all sorts of atrocities.

He manifested when Riccardo was twelve years old, and the previous king did everything he could to suppress Raziel.

But once he was out, it was very hard to place him back.

He tortured and tormented Riccardo. His grandfather loved his split personality, saying he was bolder and more demonic than Riccardo could ever be.

Riccardo's father disagreed, saying he was too dangerous to be let loose like that.

A very powerful demon was contacted, and Raziel was bound with powerful chains and never resurfaced again.

The wizard warned that the chains could be broken with dragon fire.

Since Raya burned Riccardo, Raziel was free but didn't have enough strength to take over—until now.

The chains Stefano and Harry used to hold him in place were the same ones the old wizard used.

“Release my brother, you piece of shit,” Stefano spat.

“And if I don't want to?” His calm voice irritated both Riccardo and Stefano.

He was in chains. He was supposed to be in pain from the blue flame that radiated from them.

He had gotten stronger—and more evil.

“Why would you demons be negotiating with a wolf? We're demons. If we want to erase them from existence, we can. Why do you want an alliance?”

He asked, his voice slightly raised but still composed.

“We are not like you,” Stefano said.

“Never will be,” Harry added.

“Even Ric isn't like you,” Stefano spoke again.

Raziel laughed.

“Riccardo is me as I am him. There is no separating us. We are one.”

Stefano wrung out prickly vines from his hand and wrapped them around Raziel’s neck.

“My brother will never become you,” he said, squeezing even harder.

Harry glanced at the door and hoped no one would knock. If the Alpha saw this, he would have a very good reason to cancel the deal.

Shit. What do I do?

As he pondered, Luana suddenly opened her eyes slowly. She had regained consciousness and could finally use her magic again.

She looked up from the floor and saw Raziel suspended in the air with chains.

With the small energy she had, she conjured a spell.

She drew small runes in the air and pushed them toward Raziel.

“Dormire in catene.”

Immediately, the spell hit Raziel. He began to feel drowsy.

“Shit. You witch! What did you do?”

One part of his white hair turned black, and one of his eyes turned blue.

He landed on the ground on his knees.

Gradually, he slowly started to look like Riccardo. His silver and black hair was back. His blue eyes returned.

Luana sighed in relief. After that, she passed out again.

Riccardo, on the other hand, was in a kneeling position on the ground. Stefano walked over to him.

“Ric?” he called.

No answer.

“Sire?” Harry called.

Nothing.

They shook him gently and found out he was just asleep.

Harry ran over to Luana.

“We need to leave now. If the Alpha finds out about this, the deal will fall through,” Harry said to Stefano as he held Luana in his arms.

“But won't he become suspicious if we leave abruptly?”

“He'll be more suspicious if he sees both of them sleeping during the day. He already doesn't like the king.”

Stefano nodded.

“I'll inform him that something important came up in Vacuità, and we had to go.”

“Good idea. We'll use teleportation in case they come after us. I'll take them first. You follow after,” Harry said, placing Riccardo and Luana together.

“Got it.”

\~~~~

It rained—a long, noisy rain. Vacuità was in turmoil. The king’s mother had been by his side since he arrived.

“Oh, my sweet child. I'm so sorry you had to go through all this.”

She sobbed quietly.

Riccardo turned and stirred in his sleep. His breathing became haggard and uneven.

“Riccardo? Riccardo?”

He turned violently, his hands and legs shaking. After what felt like hours, he finally stopped. A tear escaped his eye.

“Papa... please don't leave me.”

\---