True Alpha’s Chosen Mate - Chapter 243

“The witches are held in Azazel’s room. Good luck finding them.”

All I could do was watch his back until he made a turn and was gone. I stood still in the same spot for a long time, staring at my shadow. Earlier, I noticed Niall’s shadow. He didn’t have the shadow of a human anymore.

His shadow was huge that covered the entire hallway behind him. He was slowly becoming a monster, for sure. The witches’ blood… taking more of it would be dangerous. Not just for Niall, but for everyone.

He would morph into a real devil.

“Why did he tell me where the witches were?” I wondered, furrowing my brows. “Azazel’s room…”

I slowly turned around and sauntered through the hallway. Niall had shown me around the palace on my first three days. No other royalty lived in this place aside from Niall. They were all forced into an eternal slumber along with the emperor, he said.

I didn’t question its legitimacy since everyone was under Niall’s control. From the officials down to the stable boy, they all hailed Niall as if he was a god. No one even mentioned Azazel’s name as if he didn’t exist in this place.

“Where is his room, though?” I whispered, looking around the seemingly endless hallway away from the underground space — Niall’s sanctuary.

I looked around, checked every room I passed by. When I was getting further, I picked up a candelabra from the wall and used it as my lamp. The further I go, the darker it was.

Soon, I reached a hallway I had never taken before. I narrowed my eyes, trying to see through the thick darkness further deep. Nothing. But a glint of determination flickered across my eyes despite the unsettling feeling, telling me I shouldn’t go there.

After a second, I held the candelabra in front of me, giving light to my path. The hallway was getting cold and eerily silent, causing my light footsteps to echo across the unfurnished walls.

I walked carefully until it came to a cease. I extended my arm to see what was before me.

A stair going down.

“That’s strange,” came out a whisper with furrowed brows.

I could only see a few steps from my vantage point. Further than that was nothing but darkness. It looked similar to the way of the underground expanse where Niall was draining the witches’ blood. But this place was in the opposite direction of that sacrificial space.

Still, I continued to enter the darkness. I carefully took the step down warily, holding the candelabra in front of me so I wouldn’t trip. So far, aside from how cold the walls were, I hadn’t met with any ghosts or dead corpses.

When I reached the last step, I arched a brow as I twisted my neck to my left. “Another hallway?” I tilted my head, but still proceeded to head where this path was leading me.

After the seemingly endless walk, I stood in front of a gigantic door. I looked up until my neck hurt. What a large door, I thought. This place was too vast, which made sense since vampires used to hide from the light, only to prowl in the night.

“Should I use force…”

CREAK…

My breath slightly hitched when the door creaked open even before my palm could touch it. I curled my fingers, staring at the door warily.

‘I should be fine,’ I told myself as I took a deep breath, pushing the door to a gap that could fit a small person like myself. As soon as I stepped foot inside, my brows furrowed.

It was a room; a simple one with no windows.

My eyes landed on the enormous bed in the middle before looking around the room filled with darkness. I raised the candle, helping myself inside to study the room. I slid a finger on top of the antique shelf only to scoop out thick dusk as if this place wasn’t cleaned for years.

“I wonder whose room was this?” I muttered as this was more like a room to lock someone. But from what I could tell so far, no one had been in this place.

“Niall wouldn’t sleep in here,” I added as I moved to see the other vases covered with dust. “I’ve seen his room, and it’s very elegant.”

As I walked around with this candle in my hand, I caught something from the corner of my eyes. So I turned my head and approached it to see things closer. It didn’t take long when I reached the unlit fireplace.

“How odd to have a fireplace in an underground…” I trailed off, eyes moving up the fireplace to see a large frame hanging.

I raised the candelabra to see better, narrowing my eyes. The light danced on the surface of the portrait, but not enough to reach the face of the people in it. Thus, I stood on my toes to raise the light, keeping my eyes on it.

When the light completely granted me the opportunity to see the portrait, I froze. For a moment, my breath hitched while my eyes widened ever so slowly.

CLANG

The light died and darkness instantly embraced me when I dropped the candle, landing on the concrete with a crisp sound of the metal holder rolling on the floor. And yet, I couldn’t move a muscle, my hands and feet went cold.

“No…” I whispered, shaking my head as I looked up in this pitch darkness. Using my abilities, my eyes glowed faintly to see the portrait clearer, and my heart instantly pounded against my chest.

In the portrait was a man sitting on a chair with a beautiful woman sitting beside him. From the man’s clothing and the crest of the emperor’s coat of arms, I knew that man was the late emperor. My eyes veered at the woman, smiling warmly.

She was holding a child. Just one.

And at that moment, I looked around to see more portraits I had failed to see while using the candle earlier.. This room… was filled with small and big portraits of a family of three.