Married To The Villain
Chapter 71: The Crystal’s Secret: Pedro, Who Are You?

Chapter 71: The Crystal’s Secret: Pedro, Who Are You?

Chapter 71: The Crystal’s Secret: Pedro, Who Are You?

"Stay back!" Kael barked over his shoulder, focusing entirely on the beast.

Lirian hesitated for a moment, torn between helping him and searching for Pedro, who had suddenly flown off into the shadows to look for adventure.

The clash between Kael and the wolf was brutal.

Kael was ducking under the beast’s swipes and striking accurately.

His dagger found its mark in the creature’s side, eliciting a bone-chilling howl.

The wolf staggered, collapsing onto the rocky ledge.

Kael pulled his blade free, breathing heavily as he turned to Lirian.

"It’s done," he said grimly, wiping the blade on his cloak.

But Lirian wasn’t listening.

Her attention was on the dark cave ahead.

"Pedro!" she shouted.

Kael frowned. "Where’s your bird?"

"He flew that way!" she said, pointing toward the cave entrance.

Without waiting for Kael’s response, Lirian sprinted forward.

"Wait—Lirian!" Kael called after her, but she was already disappearing.

The cave smelt damb, musty, and it was cold, and Lirian’s boots slipped slightly on the uneven ground.

Her heart pounded, both from the climb and from fear for Pedro.

"Pedro!" she yelled again, but her voice bounced back to her.

Ahead, she heard a faint squawk, followed by a strange sound that sent a shiver down her spine.

She quickened her pace, ignoring the whispers that seemed to grow louder the deeper she went.

The cave opened into a wide chamber, its walls glittered faintly with mineral deposits.

In the center of the room was a crystal—taller than her and glowing with a soft, pulsing light.

It was unlike anything Lirian had ever seen, its surface shifted between shades of green and gold, as though it were alive.

And there, perched on a jagged rock beside the crystal, was Pedro.

"Pedro!" Lirian cried, relief flooded her chest.

She ran toward him, but he flapped his wings, squawking urgently.

"Wait! Don’t come closer!"

Lirian froze.

Pedro rarely sounded serious, and his tone stopped her in her tracks.

"What’s going on?" she demanded.

Pedro moved his head toward the crystal, golden eyes widened.

"Big vibes, Lirian. Huge. This thing—it’s... calling me."

"Calling you?" she repeated, shifting to the crystal.

The hum grew louder, vibrating in her chest like a second heartbeat.

Pedro hopped closer to the crystal, his feathers ruffled as though charged with static.

"I don’t know how to explain it, but I’ve gotta touch it."

"Pedro, no!" Lirian shouted, stepping forward. But it was too late.

Pedro reached out with one talon and pressed it against the crystal’s surface.

There was a blinding flash of light, and Lirian shielded her eyes, stumbling backward.

The hum turned into a small roar, and the ground beneath her feet trembled.

When the light faded, Lirian lowered her arm and blinked, adjusting her eyes to the low glow of the crystal.

Pedro was gone.

In his place there was a boy, no older than sixteen.

He had short green hair that seemed to glow under the crystal’s light, and his golden eyes—so familiar yet so different—stared back at her in wide-eyed shock.

Lirian’s mouth opened, but no sound came out.

The boy looked down at himself, his hands trembled as he examined them.

"What the—?" he muttered, his voice sounded deeper but unmistakably Pedro’s.

"Pedro?" Lirian managed to choke out.

The boy looked up at her, a sheepish grin spread across his face. "Uh... surprise?"

Lirian took a shaky step forward, reeking from questions.

"How... how is this possible?"

Pedro shrugged, glancing back at the crystal.

"I think it had something to do with that thing. I felt it—like it was waking something up inside me."

"This doesn’t make any sense," Lirian said, her voice started rising.

"You were a bird, Pedro! A talking bird!"

"Yeah, about that," Pedro said, scratching the back of his head.

"Turns out I wasn’t always a bird. I think this crystal broke whatever spell I was under."

Lirian stared at him, struggling to process his words.

"A spell? So you were—what? Human before?"

Pedro nodded slowly, thoughtfully.

"I think so. It’s all coming back to me in pieces. I remember... someone put a curse on me. I don’t know who or why, but I ended up as a parrot. And then I met you."

Lirian sank to her knees, her legs were unable to hold her any longer.

"This is... a lot."

"Tell me about it," Pedro said, sitting down cross-legged in front of her.

"One minute I’m flapping around, cracking jokes, and the next, bam! I’ve got arms and legs again."

He held up his hands, wiggling his fingers. "Weird, right?"

"Weird doesn’t even begin to cover it," Lirian said, running a hand through her hair.

The footsteps made them both turn.

Kael appeared at the entrance of the chamber, his dagger was ready and drawn.

He took in the scene, his eyes blinked multiple times.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded, staring and glazing between Lirian and the strange boy.

"It’s Pedro," Lirian said weakly.

Kael raised an eyebrow. "Pedro? The bird?"

"Yes," Pedro said, standing and brushing off his trousers. "But as you can see, I’ve upgraded." He struck a dramatic pose, grinning.

Kael stared at him for a long moment, then shook his head. "I don’t even want to know."

"You’re taking this surprisingly well," Lirian said, frowning at Kael.

He shrugged. "I’ve seen a lot of strange things in my time. A talking bird turning into a kid? Not the weirdest."

Pedro crossed his arms, looking offended.

"Kid? I’m sixteen, thank you very much."

"Congratulations," Kael said dryly. "Now can we focus on the fact that we’re standing in a cursed cave with a glowing crystal that just turned your parrot into a teenager?"

Lirian sighed, rising to her feet. "He’s right. We need to figure out what this crystal is and if it’s dangerous."

Pedro stepped closer to the crystal. "Well, it’s not dangerous—not to us, anyway. It feels... ancient. Powerful. Like it’s meant to protect something."

"Or someone," Lirian murmured, thinking about Gabriel.

Kael frowned, stepping up beside her.

"You think this has something to do with the person you’re trying to save?"

Lirian nodded slowly.

"I don’t know how, but I feel like this crystal is connected to everything—the whispers, the cursed lands, Gabriel. It’s all tied together."

Pedro turned to her, "I wasn’t going to say it, but this crystal is my father..."

"What?!"