Chapter 1 The Betrayal  I

The night was shrouded in an eerie silence, broken only by the faint rustling of leaves in the chilling breeze. A silver moon cast an ethereal glow over the scene, revealing a sprawling estate that seemed frozen in time. Ivy-covered walls concealed ancient secrets, and tall, gnarled trees stood sentinel around the property.

Amidst this haunting backdrop, a lone figure moved stealthily, like a phantom in the night. Their footsteps were barely a whisper against the cobblestone path as they approached the grand manor. The figure's cloak billowed behind them, its dark fabric blending seamlessly with the shadows.

As the intruder drew nearer to the manor, the moonlight briefly illuminated their face, revealing a mask of determination and a glint of malevolence in their eyes. They carried a small vial filled with a sinister substance that shimmered with an otherworldly iridescence.

The figure reached the entrance, a massive wooden door adorned with intricate carvings. With a flick of their gloved hand, the door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit corridor that led deeper into the heart of the estate.

In the distance, faint echoes of laughter and merriment could be heard, emanating from a grand hall where a celebration was in full swing. But the intruder paid no heed to the revelry. They moved with purpose, their steps echoing through the empty corridor.

Arriving at a locked door, the figure produced a set of keys, each one a relic of the past, and selected one with a finely wrought keyring. As the key turned in the lock, the door swung open to reveal a chamber bathed in an eerie, flickering light. In its centre lay a heavy wooden bed, and on that bed, a noble figure lay unconscious. His jet-black hair cascaded in unruly waves, framing a face that bore the weight of both innocence and eventual darkness.

The intruder approached, their gloved hand hovering over the figure's still form. With a determined face, they uncorked the vial and poured its contents onto the sleeper's lips. The iridescent substance trickled into their mouth, and the room seemed to pulsate with an otherworldly energy as the figure laying on the bed opened his piercing blue eyes, like twin sapphires, that held a depth of emotion that seemed to reach into the very soul of anyone who gazed into them. They were the kind of eyes that could betray his trusting nature and innocent countenance, revealing the turmoil and madness hidden beneath the surface.

In that moment, the atmosphere grew charged with an ominous anticipation, as though the very air held its breath. The intruder stepped back, their heart pounding, and an overwhelming sense of fear gripped them. The sight of those piercing blue eyes had sent a chill down their spine, and for a brief moment, doubt crept into their mind.

But it didn't last long, as the figure closed his eyes and stopped breathing. The intruder, still trembling with fear, forced themselves to finish the task they had come to accomplish. After confirming that their work is done, with a final glance at their handiwork, the figure slipped away into the shadows.

As they disappeared, a soft, haunting melody began to play from a hidden source, adding an eerie soundtrack to the night's events. The music seemed to echo through the corridors of the manor as the world came to a standstill and started losing its colour.

With the intruder's departure, the room fell into an oppressive silence, broken only by the laboured breathing of the unconscious nobleman. The figure lay motionless on his bed, his features etched with an unsettling mix of vulnerability and determination.

As the minutes passed, the effects of the iridescent substance began to wane, and his eyelids fluttered open once more. His gaze, still bearing the haunting intensity of those sapphire-blue eyes, scanned the dimly lit chamber. Confusion clouded his expression as he struggled to piece together the fragments of his memories.

The room itself seemed to have taken on an otherworldly aura, its shadows deepening and its walls whispering secrets of the past. The flickering light danced ominously, casting eerie, shifting shapes across the chamber's cold stone walls.

His hand trembled as he attempted to sit up, his fingers brushing against a small, ornate mirror on a nearby table. In its reflective surface, he saw the visage of a young boy, approximately fourteen years old, with a look of innocence and confusion as he struggled to remember his name and where he is. The image sent a surge of torment through his mind, triggering a searing headache. He clutched his head in agony as memories from his past life flooded his consciousness.

After a minute of excruciating pain, he slowly opened his eyes, revealing a chilling transformation. The once-innocent countenance of the young boy had given way to a gaze of cold determination, a stark contrast to his teenage body.

As he continued to gaze at his reflection, his memories gradually started to return. He uttered his name with growing conviction, a sense of realization dawning in his eyes. "I am Alex," he declared, his voice dripping with simmering fury, as the pieces of his identity fell into place. "The sole heir of the Xander Dukedom."

Turning his attention to the room around him, he confirmed the unsettling truth that he had somehow traveled back in time. The weight of his past life's memories bore down on him like an oppressive shadow, and he could see clearly what lay ahead of him.

With clenched teeth and a madness burning in his eyes, he whispered in a bone-chilling voice that echoed with an oath of retribution, "I will make you pay for all the things you have taken from me, for all the pain I have suffered, and for every betrayal... just you wait."