CHAPTER 7: FREEDOM

SELENE'S POV

I grinned hard.

Seeing Selena groaning and whimpering on the ground, I felt something twisted in me for a moment. The sense of regret pooled in my heart, and bitterness clouded my thoughts.

However, it was only a moment.

When I heard her cries, her mournful cries as she tried to reach her wolf and saw her usually strong front crumble before me, I felt the thrill I hadn't felt in years.

The happiness that had always been bottled deep within me sprouted, and my eyes watered.

It had been long. It had been so long that I thought things would never change again.

I thought I would remain her shadow forever, and my existence would only be to uplift her. But it was over now.

We used to be identical... so I thought. Even though no one ever saw us as identical, I thought we were. However, we had truly become identical.

No one would ever recognize us anymore.

No one ever would know who was who.

From today, Selena has become me, and vice versa.

I laughed with satisfaction.

My gaze fell on the white paper on the lamp stand. I stretched my dainty fingers and slowly picked it up.

The white powder sprinkled on the ground carried with it a pleasant strawberry scent. It was the same poison I'd given Selena for a whole month.

At times, her action made me ponder.

There was no way she wouldn't have perceived the strawberry scent in her water or drink, so why did she still drink it every time without questioning me?

Was she really nonchalant or simply stupid?

Or did she trust me so much?

That should be the case...

Selena had always been too trusting.

I wrapped my fingers around the white satchel and squeezed it hard. It had done its work and was no longer needed.

The payment for it was much. It took me all the money I saved from the guard for two years to pay the old maid in the castle to get such potent medicine, but nothing else mattered anymore.

Selena had fallen, and that was the best.

I laughed again.

Excitement bubbled in my belly.

"Why?" Selena whispered. Lips trembling.

I snapped my head at her, and my lips curled. Seeing her tear-stricken face, I had to brace myself to not curse out loud.

"Why?" I returned her question. "Why are you acting this way?"

All I did was poison her a bit. It wasn't to hurt her but to kill her wolf. All I did was kill her wolf... right?

She wasn't even hurt in the slightest. So, why? Why did she look so pathetic?

"I've lived without a wolf for all my life, Selena," I mumbled and got on my knees. "Aren't we sisters? Didn't you claim to love me?" I questioned, and my eyes glistened with tears.

I drew in a deep breath and sat on the ground. I hugged my knees and rested my head on them. "So, why? Why do you look like the world is ending when all that happened is that we have finally become identical? We are sisters, Selena... right?"

Selena gasped. She pushed herself up from the ground and crawled toward me. Her trembling fingers stretched forth, slowly caressing my cheeks. "Selene..." She called, her voice broke with each breath. "I'm not joking right now. I've truly lost my wolf. I can't connect with her anymore... She's nowhere to be found." She panicked.

My eyes twitched.

Selena still seemed to be in disbelief.

I raised my head, and our eyes locked.

Indeed, her eyes were lost. Like she was losing her mind.

I raised a hand and slapped her hard across the face.

"Ugh!" Selena cried and fell backward. Her body hit the ground.

"Selena," I called.

No response.

"Selena??" My heart jolted.

Still, Selena was silent.

She stared at me with a gaze I had never seen before. It was strange and unreadable. It made my heart clench.

I sat up and bent forward. My cold hands cupped her cheeks, and I lowered my head so our eyes could meet closely. "Don't scare me, Selena," I whispered.

"You are my sister, and you love me, right?" I asked, tears rolling down my cheeks. They fell on her like petals, hitting her bloodless face.

Selena finally stirred. Her lips parted, and she whispered: "Why?" She asked again. "Why did you do this to me, Selena?" She choked out.

Her weak voice, mixed with the pure sadness in her eyes, formed a lump in my throat, and my hands weakened. I slumped and shook my head. "I love you, Selena. I always do." I muttered out.

My stomach knotted, but happiness brewed somewhere within my heart___

At this moment, the door creaked and danger pressed close.