Chapter 3

Tiffany paused in the middle of making the bed, a faint smile curling at the corner of her lips. "You're smart, Sera. I thought you wouldn't notice."

She whispered, her eyes glinting with something cruel, "That's right. I did it. I concocted the stench potion myself. Smells just like beast droppings, doesn't it?"

A sharp pain clenched my chest. I wanted to ask why she was doing this to me, but she suddenly squeezed out tears and turned to run out of the room.

I followed in shock, only to see her throwing herself into Mom's arms.

"Mom, it's my fault…" Tiffany cried. "I shouldn't have said anything about Sera's smell. She got really upset, and it's all my fault."

Startled by her crying, Dad immediately came over to comfort her. Mom, on the other hand, gently wiped her tears away.

They stood at the doorway, showering me with only cold glares and not a single word of comfort.

That memory, torn open by the flames of the Memory Offering, brought tears streaming down my face once more.

My body trembled violently on the stone seat of the altar. The silverbane in my veins tangled with the sacred fire, threatening to burn my bones to ash.

"Don't cry…" Dad murmured from the Sacred Viewing Chamber, letting out a low sigh. For a fleeting moment, guilt flickered in his eyes.

Mom tried to comfort me, too. "We misunderstood you back then. Tiffany was young, and it was probably just a childish prank. You should forgive her."

Yet, Eric's mind was somewhere else. He turned coldly to the elder and said, "There are still two offerings left. Keep going—show us the memory of Tiffany's disappearance."

The elder's expression darkened. He moved his hands above the sacred flames, tracing sigils in the air. "Her wolf is on the brink. Any deeper, and she'll be at risk of complete obliteration."

"Didn't you say she could endure three offerings?" Dad snapped, gritting his teeth. "Two remain. Proceed."

The second memory offering ignited under the sacred fire, and my consciousness was once again dragged into the vortex of the past.

Mom lay curled up in bed, writhing in pain. Dad sat beside her, sweat beading on his forehead from panic.

"The healer said we'll need wolfsbane from the Dark Forest to make the remedy," he said, his voice tight with worry. "But no mercenary is willing to take the risk."

Seeing Mom's pale face, I felt my heart twist with worry. Without hesitation, I turned and sprinted toward the Dark Forest.

Relying on the survival instincts I had honed during my years among the Rogues, I finally found the dangerous herb deep within the shadowy woods, where wolves roamed.

However, what I failed to know was that wolfsbane could only be harvested using a silverbone vial. Touching it barehanded would let its poison seep straight into my bloodstream.

I had barely made it out of the forest when the poison hit. My body convulsed violently, and I collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

By the time I staggered home the next day, my veins burning from the wolfsbane toxin, Dad met me at the gate with a slap.

"Your mother's on the brink of death, and you had the time to run off and play? I should've known that you were nothing more than a heartless Rogue!"

He then brought Tiffany before me. "See? Tiffany wore herself sick trying to find wolfsbane for your mother. And you? You disappeared like a coward!"

Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to speak. "It was me… I went into the forest…"

Dad didn't bother to hear me out.

He turned and helped Mom back into the villa without another word. She glanced back only once, but with a cold, distant look that shattered whatever scraps of longing I still had for her love.

Tiffany stood in the shadows, out of their sight, flashing me a bright, venomous smile.

"Thanks, Sera. I wouldn't have dared go into the Dark Forest without your lead. Oh, and next time? Wear gloves. Wolfsbane doesn't just sting—it kills."

Outside the altar, voices bled faintly through the haze of the rite. Mom's voice trembled, thick with guilt.

"What? The wolfsbane… came from Seraphine? She risked her life to get it? Why didn't she ever tell me? I was wrong about her…"

Dad let out a heavy sigh. "That child's like a mute. She never explains herself and always shields Tiff. Once we find her, I'll have to discipline her. Three days of confinement should do."

However, Eric shook his head with disapproval. "Tiff's been out there suffering for a week, fending for herself. We'll talk about punishment later. Besides, Seraphine is her older sister. She'll understand. She always does."

I opened my eyes on the altar, a wry smile pulling at the corner of my lips.

So, even when the truth lay bare before them, they would still take Tiffany's side. And me? I was never an option for their love.