Valeburne Heir's Chambers
Selene lay still beneath silk covers, her skin pale against the crimson sheets.
The poison hadn't killed her—but it had left her soul bruised, her mana flow unstable. Her body shivered in waves, no matter how warm the room.
Lucien sat beside her bed, golden eyes half-lidded but sharp.
He hadn't left her side all night.
A Moment of Vulnerability
Selene stirred, her lips parting slightly.
"…Lucien."
He leaned forward immediately, his gloved hand brushing her crimson hair from her forehead.
"I'm here."
Her red eyes flickered open. For a brief moment, there was no royal decorum, no noble mask—just a girl, tired and fragile beneath too many burdens.
"I saw it again," she whispered, her voice hoarse.
Lucien's throat tightened.
"The battlefield?"
She nodded weakly.
"And the snow."
A Promise Without Words
Lucien took her hand in his.
His fingers trembled, but only slightly.
"I won't let it happen again," he whispered—not to her, not to himself.
Selene's lips curved faintly.
"I don't think we can stop it."
Her eyes locked onto his.
"But if we fall again, fall with me."
Lucien's jaw clenched. He didn't respond.
Because there were no safe answers to that.
Alaric's Warning
Outside the chamber, Alaric Thorne leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
His gray eyes were unreadable.
When Lucien finally stepped out of the room to change the cold cloth on Selene's forehead, Alaric spoke quietly.
"This is dangerous, Lucien."
"I know."
"Not just the assassins. You."
Lucien's gaze remained cold.
"What do you mean?"
Alaric's jaw tightened. "You're too close. You can't think clearly."
Lucien didn't flinch.
"Then maybe I don't want to."
In the Greymoor Estate
Meanwhile, Evelyne Greymoor stood before a long mirror, brushing her obsidian hair with delicate precision.
Her reflection smiled at her, but it wasn't kind.
A knock at her chamber door.
"Enter."
A masked informant stepped inside, bowing low.
"My lady, the assassin squad failed. Lucien interfered."
Evelyne sighed softly, setting down her brush.
"No matter."
She picked up a sealed scroll from her vanity table.
"Send this to the Eastern Council. It's time we escalate."
The Letter's Contents
The scroll read:
"Plan Alpha commences. Phase two: remove the Valeburne Duke. Frame the Aurelians. Force a war. The Crimson-Gold bond will not survive a kingdom in flames."
Back at Valeburne Estate
Selene's breathing slowed as the soul poison faded from her system.
Lucien watched her sleep, his golden eyes reflecting the candlelight.
But deep down, he knew something had shifted between them.
This wasn't just about prophecy anymore.
This was personal.
In the Distance – The Twin Moons
That night, the twin moons—gold and scarlet—hung silently in the sky.
But clouds gathered around them.
And the first flakes of crimson snow began to fall in secret corners of Aerthrial, unseen by most.
The cycle was accelerating.
And no one could stop it now.