Seducing The Second Male Lead

15

Ariella's POV

It was dark. All I could see was darkness. Nothing was in sight and I could feel my energy being drained from my entire being. The shadows enveloped me as I became numb of my senses.

I couldn't move, feel anything or even scream out. The worst thing of all was that I had no clue where I was.

Whether I could be ever found was a mystery and whether I could be saved will always be my unanswered question, for as long as I stay here.

I sunk down deeper, eyes closed as my body curled up like an embryo.

Silence was all I could hear... Darkness was all I could see...

Third Person's POV

The current situation was nothing short of chaos.

The moment Ariella was pulled into the shadows, she had completely disappeared, and so did the Imperial Snow Domain, allowing the protection against the black magician fade.

Duke Ain, Edmund and the others was surprised and devastated towards the loss of Ariella and they simply did not know where she was, nor how they could help her. All they knew was that she had disappeared with the help of dark magic so the result was no bound to be good...

Edmund who was nearest to Ariella searched the entire space with his mana detection skill but he could not find an ounce of his beloved's mana.

Red with rage, he pulverised the castle and hunted down the black magician, only able to injure him critically before he fled.

Edmund could barely calm down but he had to because of his sister and his friends that sent some logic into him.

If I want to save Ariella, I have to stay rational and calm...

Taking a couple deep breaths he composed himself to the best of his ability and walked up to Ain and they began to talk about any chances to recover the lost lady. The king and elders of the Sacred Land also joined in the conversation that lasted two weeks as they researched the origin and nature of dark magic.

Still, no matter how many books, how many records they looked through, with such little information on the rare dark magic, their search had come to no avail.

The Sacred Land elders promised to do their best to try and help this case as they had truly felt joy and a type of affinity to the little lass that was the first one to help defend the castle and they also had a nice impression on her the very moment they set their eyes on her.

Very soon, the time to return to Anastia had arrived and the scene at where Ariella disappeared at was investigated many times, but there was no clues at all.

Both Ain and Edmund could only dejectedly return to their own homes and do individual research, however from then on, they became expressionless and completely immersed in the research of dark magic.

They drove themselves to continue researching without food and sleep due to the worry of the frail girl that was already injured before hand.

Ain had come out of his depression quite fast, however, due to Baroness Yulian supporting him and they finally got married soon enough, because they figured that they wanted to stabilise the house before Ariella could come back.

Edmund, Rouge and Lisbeth had to enter the academy and Johnson had to return to his studies as a second year whilst Emerald was too young to attend the academy.

What was different from the novel, was that the main female lead was no longer attending the academy like how fate had set it out. But then again, this world may as well not be the novel due to the abnormal events that were not recorded in the book that was noticed by the female lead herself.

What was a like in the novel, however, was the characters that enrolled the academy and also the fame and popularity that the male leads gained.

The people that enrolled that year was the third male lead, the female lead's best friends as well as the villainess and her minions.

With the experience of losing their friend that was trying to protect them, the group was much more solemn and less lively. Kind to everyone, but there was a certain distance between everybody else and themselves.

The existence of Ariella Ignes soon faded into history as nobody could remember the girl that had only appeared before society once, on her birthday, and some even presumed that she had went away from the duke's residence with her mother. 

Days passed into weeks as weeks passed into months and months became years, however, despite the four seasons changing, she was the only one who did not notice this fact, stuck in a world of eternal darkness.

Living amongst the slumbering demons as she too slept, in a place that she could not escape. At least, without external help or interference.

That black magician had yet to turn up, whether it was in the demon's realm or in the human world which was a smart move on his side as the Sacred Land had been on a constant look out for the magician.

Maybe he didn't appear because he was gravely injured by Edmund. Or maybe he didn't come because he achieved his purpose. That too, was a mystery that neither the populace of the Sacred Land nor the nobles all around the world would discover until his reappearance.

Despite the lengthy time that Ariella had disappeared for, she was constantly in the minds of her family and friends and each year, her birthday was still celebrated extravagantly, just like when she was present.

Every year, the same people attended, making the citizens of Anastia whom were all scared out of their wits the first time, yet used to it.

The king even personally came to the duke's house, as well as some elves, spirits and some famous faraway nobles from other kingdoms that Ariella had befriended at the Sacred Land.

Each year past with wishes for her return.