"Go now, my little viper. I'll join you soon. Let the kingdom mourn their old king… their new one is on his way."
Selene shakily rose to her feet. Her eyes burning holes into Thaddeus. Then she turned her gaze on the others seated around the table.
Varrin and Cassandra. The people who had raised her, shaped her, lied to her. Filled her head with fantasies of justice and righteousness. Her eyes landed next on Klaus—Hannah's murderer. Who was grinning at her.
And finally, they returned to Thaddeus.
She had memorized every face. Every betrayal. A mental death list.
Without another word, she turned and stormed out of the room.
Lila made to follow her, but Thaddeus's voice stopped her.
"You."
Lila stopped and bowed. "Yes, Master."
"Watch her. Closely. I want to know her every breath, every word. If she so much as thinks of defiance, I expect a report. Immediately. Understand?"
"Yes, Master," Lila said, her voice trembling slightly.
Thaddeus gave a final command, his tone cold.
"I'll arrive at the castle in a fortnight. That gives the sheep enough time to mourn. If I come and find even a petal out of place… everyone dies. I will take my throne, one way or another."
Lila bowed again and fled the room, trying to catch up to Selene.
---
Outside the chamber.
Selene stormed through the winding halls, her jaw clenched, her eyes blank with fury. She didn't hear Lila's footsteps until the girl was nearly upon her.
"My Queen!" Lila called out, breathless.
Selene didn't stop. Didn't even turn.
Lila caught up. "Are you… are you alright?"
Selene's voice was ice. "Like you care."
"Of course I care," Lila said, trying to keep up. "Please, my Queen, I didn't know. You have to believe me."
"Keep your distance, Lila." Selene snapped, not breaking stride.
Lila obeyed, her pace faltering.
"I swear I didn't know. I've always been just a maid. Not a full member. I was with you every moment in the castle—how could I have known?"
Selene said nothing, her anger drowning out reason. Her breath came in steady, dangerous exhales. She could still feel Thaddeus's bruising grip on her throat, taste the bile rising from his kiss.
The silence between them stretched like a wire until Lila broke it, her voice fragile.
"I still hear them." She said it softly, as if afraid of her own words.
Selene's eyes flicked to her but she kept walking.
"The children," Lila whispered, her voice shaking. "Their voices… they don't stop. They scream in my head. It's excruciating."
Selene finally stopped cold.
"What children?" she asked, turning slowly to face her. "I don't hear anything."
Before Lila could respond, a sultry feminine voice interrupted her.
"Why… the children in the dungeons, of course."
Both Selene and Lila turned sharply.
A woman stepped out from the shadows, cloaked in black. Her skin was pale as snow, her hair long and dark, and her crimson eyes gleamed like rubies. A smile curled on her blood-red lips—mocking, beautiful, and hideous all at once.
"Who are you?" Selene demanded, hand twitching toward the dagger at her side. "And what do you mean by children in the dungeons?"
The woman gave a graceful, exaggerated bow. "I am Melisse. And I mean exactly what I said. There are children locked deep beneath this place. That's why your sweet little maid hears screaming. Their cries linger."
Selene's heart pounded. Her mind recoiled from the implications. "Why would there be children in the dungeons?" She asked but dreaded the answer.
Melisse's grin widened. "For eating, of course."
Selene's breath hitched. Beside her, Lila gasped.
"The faction… eats children?" Selene choked out, her voice quivering with disbelief.
"Oh no, darling. Don't be so dramatic. We aren't barbarians. We don't eat all of them. Just their hearts."
Selene staggered back a step.
"It's quite delicious," Melisse continued, licking her lips. "Especially the pure ones. You should try it sometime. Makes you stronger."
Selene surged forward, rage blinding her, but Lila grabbed her arm.
"Don't. Please, we have to go. This isn't the time," she pleaded.
Melisse chuckled. "They used to sing about you, you know. The entire Faction. They called you the prodigy. The chosen one. I was so desperate to meet you. The Selene Wynter of Vega. But now… seeing you in the flesh…" Her crimson eyes narrowed. "You look fragile. I bet I could snap your neck before you blink."
Selene's fists clenched.
"Let's just go," Lila begged, her voice breaking. "The exit is right there. Please."
"Yes, run away," Melisse sneered. "Go play queen in your castle. Pretend you're not already dead inside."
Selene turned sharply, forcing herself to walk away. Every step felt like it cost her blood.
But Melisse's final words cut deeper than anything else.
"Oh—and little Hannah?" Her voice was soft, mocking. "Absolutely delicious. The more innocent they are, the sweeter they taste."
Selene froze.
The world went quiet.
All she saw was red.
A guttural scream ripped from her throat as her body turned.
Dagger in hand, she lunged at Melisse.
Melisse smiled—expecting the attack. What she hadn't expected was Selene's speed, or the sheer rage behind it.
The blade sliced across Melisse's cheek, splitting flesh before she could react.
Stunned, Melisse staggered, trying to recover—only for Selene to seize the moment.
She grabbed Melisse's arm before the sorceress could cast a single spell.
"Listen to the words of—"
Selene punched her hard in the face, cutting her off mid-incantation.
The simple contact ignited her power instantly.
"I'm not going to waste my time by killing you," Selene growled. "You're going to kill yourself."
She shoved the dagger into Melisse's hand.
"Cut yourself open," she commanded, voice low and lethal. "Take out your heart—and eat it."
Melisse's eyes widened, panic flooding them. Her fingers trembled—but obeyed.
She couldn't stop herself.
Her body was no longer her own.
"No," she gasped, voice cracking. "No, no—"
Still, she raised the blade to her chest.
"My Queen, please," Lila pleaded, stepping forward, eyes wide with horror. "Please don't do this here—you'll get us killed."
Selene didn't respond.
Melisse let out a choked cry.
Then—with full force—she plunged the dagger into her chest. A scream tore through her lips as blood poured down her chest.
"Stop," Selene finally said coldly.
Melisse froze—blade buried in her chest, blood dripping.
Selene stepped closer, unflinching. She reached out and took out the dagger from Melisse's chest.
"Next time we meet," she said, her voice a promise. "I will kill you. And I hope it's soon."
And then—without ceremony—Selene grabbed Melisse by the head and slammed her into the stone wall.
The impact echoed.
Melisse crumpled, unconscious.
Only then did Selene turn and begin walking toward the exit, the dagger still slick in her grip.
Lila followed behind her, silent.