Chapter 93: Whispers in the Dark**
The night after the king’s burial was thick with an eerie silence. The palace, draped in mourning, carried a heavy air of grief. Even the torches that lined the halls flickered dimly, as though unwilling to burn brightly on such a sorrowful night.
But for Ava, this night was far from sorrowful.
This was a night of opportunity.
She walked through the quiet corridors, her crimson gown flowing behind her like spilled wine. Her expression was unreadable, her steps purposeful.
Ava had waited patiently. She had endured Lucian’s coldness, his blatant disgust, and the way his thoughts always drifted to *her.*
*Seraphina.*
Even in her weakened state, Seraphina still held his heart in the palm of her fragile hands. It was maddening.
But things were about to change.
Ava stopped before a door—an old, rarely used chamber deep within the palace walls. She glanced around before slipping inside.
The room was dimly lit by a single candle. And in the shadows, waiting for her, was a hooded figure.
“You’re late,” the figure murmured.
Ava smirked. “You should know by now—I arrive exactly when I mean to.”
The figure tilted their head slightly, observing her. “Why have you called for me?”
Ava’s fingers brushed the edge of a table, her nails tapping against the wood. “The king is dead. The kingdom is in mourning. *He*—” she paused, her voice twisting with venom, “—is still obsessed with *her.*”
There was a low chuckle from the shadows. “Lucian never was one to see what’s right in front of him.”
Ava’s lips curled. “Which is why I intend to *remove* what’s in his way.”
The figure leaned forward, intrigued. “And what exactly do you want from me?”
Ava’s eyes glinted.
“I need you to ensure that Seraphina never recovers.”
A tense silence followed.
The figure exhaled, amusement dancing in their tone. “You want her dead.”
Ava laughed softly, shaking her head. “No, no. Not yet. Death is too… merciful.” She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I want her *helpless.* I want her to *suffer.* I want her to watch everything she loves slip through her fingers until there’s nothing left.”
The figure considered her words before speaking.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Ava.”
She tilted her head, eyes gleaming with something dark. “Oh, I *love* dangerous games.”
The figure chuckled. “Very well. But this will cost you.”
Ava’s smirk widened.
“Name your price.”
\---
While Ava plotted in the shadows, Lucian sat by Seraphina’s bedside, staring at her with a mixture of frustration and helplessness.
She was pale, her body still weak from the strain of removing the dark magic from his father’s corpse. Every breath she took felt fragile, like she could shatter at any moment.
The healers had done everything they could. But they all said the same thing—
“She is alive, but weak. Her body cannot withstand much more.”
Lucian clenched his fists.
She had done this for *his* father. She had risked her life, knowing the consequences, and yet she still chose to act.
“Why?” His voice was hoarse. “Why do you keep doing this to yourself?”
There was no answer. Only the soft rise and fall of her chest.
Lucian exhaled sharply, pressing his forehead against his clasped hands. The weight of everything—the kingdom, his father’s death, his marriage to Ava, and now *this*—it was suffocating.
He had spent so much time being angry. So much time resenting Seraphina for pushing him into that portal back in Ravaryn. If she hadn’t… would any of this have happened?
Would they still be together? Would she still be safe?
He shook his head. It didn’t matter now.
All that mattered was ensuring she didn’t suffer for his mistakes.
Lucian reached out, hesitating before brushing a stray lock of silver hair from her face.
He wanted her to open her eyes. To *yell* at him. To call him a stubborn fool and tell him that she could handle herself.
Instead, she remained still.
And it was killing him.
\---
In the depths of unconsciousness, Seraphina was trapped in a void.
The world around her was dark and shifting, like mist curling around invisible walls.
She walked barefoot through the nothingness, her heart heavy with something she couldn’t name.
Then—
A voice.
A whisper.
*“You are running out of time.”*
Seraphina spun around. “Who’s there?”
The air crackled with energy, and suddenly, standing before her was a *woman.*
She was tall, ethereal, draped in robes of stardust. Her face was hidden beneath a hood, but her presence radiated power.
Seraphina’s heart pounded. “Who are you?”
The woman tilted her head. “A warning.”
Seraphina frowned. “What do you mean?”
The woman stepped closer, her voice a mere breath.
*“You are dying, child. Every time you use your power, the thread of your life frays.”*
Seraphina’s breath hitched. She already *knew* this, but hearing it spoken aloud sent a new wave of fear through her.
“There has to be a way to stop it,” she whispered.
The woman’s hooded gaze was unreadable.
“The Origin Relic.”
Seraphina stiffened.
“You have it in your possession,” the woman continued. “And yet, you hesitate.”
Seraphina swallowed hard. “Because I don’t *know* how to use it.”
The woman exhaled. “Then learn. *Before it is too late.*”
Before Seraphina could ask more, the void *shattered*—
And she awoke with a sharp gasp.
\---
Meanwhile, back in the hidden chamber, Ava’s deal was being finalized.
The hooded figure extended a hand. “Once I begin, there is no turning back.”
Ava met their gaze without hesitation.
“I don’t *want* to turn back.”
Their fingers brushed, sealing the agreement.
And as Ava stepped out into the moonlit corridor, a dark smile played on her lips.
Seraphina wouldn’t know what hit her.