SISTER'S THREAT

Evangeline bit her nails, a habit she rarely indulged in but couldn't stop now. Her mind was already racing, panic creeping in like a slow-burning fire.

Adeline’s footsteps faded down the hallway, her mocking words still hanging in the air.

The Masters are coming back tonight.

“Shit,” she muttered under her breath.

She threw the covers off and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, moving too fast in her rush to get up. The moment her feet hit the floor, she miscalculated her step, her ankle twisting sharply.

A gasp left her lips as she lost balance, stumbling forward. She barely managed to catch herself against the bedside table before she hit the ground.

“Fucking hell,” she hissed, gripping the edge of the table to steady herself.

This was bad. Really bad.

Evangeline stood up quickly, grabbing the heavy layers of her dress in both hands to keep from tripping over them. She moved fast, her heart pounding against her ribs as she rushed out of the room, determined to catch up with Adeline.

Anyone else would wonder how she managed to sleep in such a full, elaborate outfit. But she was probably used to it—she had perfected the art of making discomfort feel like second nature.

Her bare feet, covered only by thin socks, slapped against the polished floor as she darted down the hallway. The sound echoed loudly in the silence, and she winced, realizing she might accidentally wake the students.

Slowing down, she forced herself to tiptoe-run, moving as fast as she could while keeping the noise to a minimum.

As she reached the second floor, she hesitated for a split second, her gaze scanning the dimly lit corridor.

Where the hell was Adeline?

That woman walked too damn fast for someone without super-speed abilities. Evangeline huffed in frustration and kept moving, determined to catch up before it was too late.

She stormed into the kitchen, her eyes immediately locking onto Adeline, who was casually leaning against the slab, plucking grapes from the fruit basket and popping them into her mouth like she didn’t have a single care in the world.

Evangeline glared at her but didn’t say anything. Instead, she turned to one of the women working in the kitchen. “Are you done sending dinner to everyone?”

The woman nodded without hesitation.

Evangeline exhaled sharply and flicked her wrist, muttering something under her breath.

Immediately, the entire kitchen changed. The women standing around dissolved like mist, their forms dissipating into thin air. The fresh, warm aroma of cooked meals vanished. The fruit basket, the freshly baked bread, the plates, the steaming pots—everything disappeared as if it had never existed.

In seconds, the kitchen reverted to its original state—clean, empty, and lifeless. Only a few pots and two plain-looking fridges remained.

Adeline groaned, looking down at her empty hand where her grape had just been a second ago. She dusted off her palm, as if offended by the very idea of its absence. "I was eating that," she muttered, sounding genuinely put out. Then, she turned to Evangeline, her expression shifting into something unimpressed. "Why are you following me?"

Evangeline took a deep breath, steadying herself. The weight of what she’d just done settled heavily on her. She’d used too much power already—undoing the illusion completely would cost her more than she was willing to admit.

Straightening her posture, she ignored the exhaustion creeping in and fixed her sister with a glare. "So you knew I was following you, yet you walked so damn fast."

Adeline scoffed. "Why were you?"

Evangeline clenched her jaw for a moment before exhaling. "I hate to say this, but I need your help."

Adeline froze mid-motion, raising a brow before tilting her head slightly, as if checking to see if her sister had finally lost her mind. Then she laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, I hate to hear it too." She rolled her eyes. "What the fuck would I risk my life for you? I run the club, Evangeline. The stuff that goes on there needs all the strength I have. And tomorrow’s Friday. Why the hell would I waste my energy on your bullshit?"

"Come on," her sister pressed, voice softer, almost pleading. "Just this once."

Adeline gave her an unreadable look, then shook her head. "You want me to risk my life for someone who suddenly doesn’t value hers?" She gestured vaguely around them. "You did all of this for fun. Undo it with the same enthusiasm, okay?"

She turned, already making her way toward the door, done with the conversation.

She had barely taken two steps toward the door when Evangeline’s voice rang out, sharp and accusing.

"You really want to do this?" she snapped. "You think this won’t affect you? They’re going to punish you too, just like they always do. So go ahead, walk away—but don’t act surprised when you’re dragged down with me."

Adeline stopped in her tracks.

Slowly, she turned back around, fixing her sister with a look of pure disgust. "First of all," she started, voice laced with venom, "you disgust me."

Evangeline flinched slightly.

"You did this," she continued, taking a slow step forward. "You woke up one morning and thought, *‘Hey, let me ruin everything for fun. Let me turn this castle into a damn circus for a childish, reckless reason.’* And now, when it's all about to crash down on your head, you think threatening me will magically change my mind?" She let out a humorless laugh.

Evangeline opened her mouth, but she held up a hand, cutting her off.

"Listen here, sister," she said, voice low and lethal. "I would rather die at the hands of Master than die trying to help a pathetic, unappreciative idiot like you—someone who thinks she can manipulate her way out of every situation."

"You want advice?" Adeline asked, tilting her head mockingly. "Don’t be a baby. Clean up your own mess." She took another step, lowering her voice to a whisper. "You're strong, aren't you? Well, now’s your chance to prove it. If you're lucky, you’ll only be in a coma for a week."