**Author's** **POV**
Lunara strode into the chambers, her steps purposeful yet heavy with emotion. She halted before kael, her eyes narrowed with barely restrained fury. Kael looked at her, his throat tightened as he struggled for words that refused to come out.
"Kael," she demanded, her voice cutting through the tense silence. "Who's your mate?"
Tension hung freely in the room. Sensing the brewing storm, Collins took the cue. He silently bowed and slipped out, leaving the two alone.
Kael moved closer to her, attempting to slip his hand around her waist, but Lunara shoved his hands away, stepping back sharply. Her chest heaved with anger as Kael tried again, reaching out tentatively.
"Lunara," he called softly, his voice tinged with unease. "Calm down. I just found out about her yesterday. She isn't even important, and won't change anything. I'll marry you soon, Lunara," he said, his gaze steady as though trying to convince himself as much as her.
Lunara's laughter was bitter, her tone sharp. "Marry me now, Kael," she snapped. "Your mate is here, and I can see you're already changing your mind about me."
Kael stepped closer, his brows furrowing. "I'm not changing my mind about you. I want the kingdom to stabilize before focusing on us. The killings... black magic. I want to get rid of them first."
Her scoff was scathing "You're being selfish, Kael," she spat, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "I won't allow another woman to take my place as the Luna. No one deserves the title except me."
Kael's voice turned defensive. "But.....what's it about marriage? You've never wanted that in the past. So what's changed now?"
"Ye…s, I didn't before", Lunara admitted, her voice faltering. "Now that you're the king, I should become your queen.
Kael's jaw tightened, frustration brewing in. "We'll talk about this later," he said, his voice final. "I need to go. She's in danger."
"No!" She screamed in desperation. "If you leave to save her, it's over between us."
Kael froze, her words sinking in. He studied her for a moment, hoping to find a hint of the woman he once loved, but she felt like a stranger. A total stranger.
Finally, he said in a low but firm tone. "You should know, she is my subject and I should protect her at all costs."
Lunara glared at him, before turning sharply and storming out, her heels hitting the floor sharply.
Kael remained standing, with a heavy silence hanging around him. His mind churned with unspoken thoughts. Lunara's outburst unsettled him. Was she no longer the same woman he had always loved?
Kael heaved a deep breath, and left the chambers and headed for the courtyard. Collins appeared at his side, his face a mask of concern.
"The car is ready," Collins informed him.
Kael nodded, his gaze landed on Lunara., who was standing at the far end of the courtyard, her hands crossed tightly around her chest. Her words replayed in his mind, but he shook them off.
"Let's go," he said curtly.
They drove towards the studio apartment café, questioning neighbors and coworkers, but no one had seen Seraphina.
At the far end of the kingdom, in a hidden chamber, Seraphina sat strapped to a metal chair, her body battered and bloodied. Cuts marred her skin and blood trickled down her arms and legs, pooling at her feet. Every breath is a struggle. Her wounds were searing with unrelenting pain, but her spirit was never broken.
Seraphina didn’t flinch, her silence speaking volumes. She would rather die than join them—than use her powers for evil.
Before her, stood an old man, his eyes narrowed with frustration and intrigue. "You're strong. Aren't you?" He mused, his lips curling into a devilish smile.
Seraphina stared at him, silent and defiant.
"You can't be all that strong anyway," he said darkly. "Bring the furnace."
Men entered, carrying a metal bowl with a blazing fire. Seraphina's heart raced with fear as she struggled to free herself from the chain, but instead it burned deeper into her skin.
"This would really hurt a lot," the man said, dipping an iron rod into the flame, its tip glowing red-hot "But I promise you'll live," he added.
He moved closer to her in a slow, deliberate step, its heat pulsing through the air. Just as he was about to place the rod on her body, Seraphina choked out.
"Please," she said, her voice laced with fear. "I'll join you," she said.
The man's expression softened as he let out a pleased smile replacing his harsh demeanor. "You should have agreed earlier......mother witch."
The old man turned to his men, and barked out orders. "Get her ready. The initiation starts soon."
The men unchained her, and handled her with surprising gentleness-a stark contrast to how they were earlier.
Seraphina was cleaned and dressed in a red royal dress, her black hair was arranged in a messy bun and her face painted with white chalk. Seraphina sat before a mirror, her mind was reeling with escape plans. She shouldn't be doing this. She can't do it. Then a thought struck her.
Abruptly, she stood up and moved towards the door. "I need to use the bathroom." she said coldly as she clutched the hem of the fabric, barely holding herself together, but the men didn't bulge, their gaze fixed on her.
Suddenly, her voice became sharp with authority. "Or should I inform the Elder that you dared disobey the mother witch?"
Their resolve wavered. Bowing their heads in submission, they stepped aside.
"Good," Seraphina said, masking her relief.
The moment she stepped outside, seraphina broke into a run, her feet barely touching the ground as she darted through the dense forest. Her breath came in short gasps. Her head snapped back repeatedly to check for pursuers.
The forest loomed dark and endless. Panic clawed at her chest, as she realized that there was no way out.
In a clearing, the old man rose to the wooden podium, addressing the gathered crowd.
"Tonight," he began, his voice sharply echoing through the dark forest. "History will be rewritten as we have the strongest mother witch within us."
The crowd erupted into applause and cheers, only to be silenced by the elders' raised hands.
"Bring her out," he commanded.
One of the men came out, trembling. "Elder....he stammered. "The mother witch is gone."
The elder's lips curled into a sinister grin."how?, you fools let her escape", well..., he continued, "She can never leave the forest, because this is not actually a forest. This is a room."
His voice turned cold. "Find her and bring her back."