Vienna's POV:Kai’s voice broke through the fog, soft but pointed, grabbing my attention by snapping his fingers. “Enna? Where are you lost?”I looked up at him, blinking back the tears that had gathered without warning. My heart twisted as I saw the concern in his eyes. For a moment, I thought maybe, he was finally ready to hear my side of the story.“Kai…”I whispered, my voice thick, “Why won’t you even listen to me—”But he cut me off irritatedly. “Because you are still stuck on proving yourself innocent instead of doing something to alleviate that guilt!” He snapped, and I flinched. He wasn’t yelling, and I could see genuine confusion in his eyes along with his soft voice, but every word was even more painful with this wall between us. “Gemini’s condition is worsening by the minute, the medicines that the healers are giving her aren’t having any effect on her, and yet you don’t care? I don’t remember you being like this, Enna. What has gotten into you? You used to care about
Vienna's POV:The moment Kai pulled me aside, I felt a flicker of hope spark in my chest. For one second, just one, I thought he too had seen what I was seeing.That he has read between the cracks in Gemini’s performance and was ready to talk about how we should handle it together. But instead, the first words out of his mouth knocked the air out of me.“I know you don't like her from the core of your heart…”He began, his voice quiet but heavy, “and to be fair, whatever she has done in the past, nobody can blame you for hating her. But while hating her to the core, how could you forget that not only is she trying to become a good person, she has been regretful, Vienna. She has acknowledged her crimes.”My stomach sank. I froze in place, staring up at him as if I could will him to stop.He didn’t.“Not only that, but she tried to repay her debt to you by being your testimony… saving you from the death penalty. Don’t you think that counts for something? Don’t you think that earns her e
Author's POV:The moment healers mentioned that there might be a chance that Gemini was allergic to lemongrass, she just gave a quick and weak smile to everyone and closed her eyes, without saying anything.While on the other hand the healers gave Vienna a very dirty look, as if they wanted to silently criticize this behaviour of hers. However, their vow of silence didn't last for long. “We know that she wasn't good to you in your early days, but she was the only reason that you are standing in your place as a Supreme Luna. And we all have expected much more from you!!”But they all knew that there is no way they could say even a single word from that sentence to her, so they kept the calm regarding this matter and started to find the medicines for Gemini, as no matter whatever they were trying to tame her allergy was reacting badly and they were unable to find a cure for that moment.Fynn was trying to analyse this matter with logic, knowing Vienna would never do anything intention
Author's POV: The day had passed in a strange, uneasy calm. Gemini hadn’t said much after their confrontation in the kitchen. She hadn’t tried to argue, provoke, or even subtly needle Vienna the way she had in the past few days. In fact, she’d barely spoken at all. And yet, Vienna couldn’t relax. She knew that there is nothing she can do right now, that would make everyone believe her and for now she knew that she isn't going to do anything right away. But it wasn’t just silence, it was the calculated kind. The kind that reminded her of thunderclouds just before a storm, and she was perfectly familiar with this silence. The air around Gemini had shifted. Her presence felt more rehearsed now, as if she’d learned to wear her decency like a tailored coat. Gone were the impulsive outbursts, the teary eyes, the passive aggression. Now there was only a smile—a pleasant, distant, and disturbingly knowing smile. Vienna could feel it on the back of her neck every time she turned her head.
Vienna's POV:I was humming to myself as I prepped dinner in the kitchen. The familiar routine was helping me settle into my usual self again. Maybe, Kai and Fynn were right. Maybe all Gemini had were empty threats, and she was trying to play mind games by planting suspicioun in my mind, because she also knew that she couldn't do much apart from that. And by thinking about her or associating any sort of meaning with her words, I was allowing her to mess with me. I slid the rotisserie chicken into the oven behind me, the satisfying click of the door closing giving me a sense of accomplishment.But the moment I turned back to the counter, my breath stuttered.Gemini was there.Leaning against the counter, arms crossed over her chest, and a tight smile on her face.I flinched inwardly. My eyes narrowed before I could stop myself. “What are you doing here? Do you need something?” I kept my tone neutral, but I could feel my hostility kicking against my ribs like a caged animal, demand
Vienna's POV:I had been following Zeke around the house like a shadow all day. Wherever he ran, I followed. If he turned left, I turned with him. If he disappeared into a room, I was there two seconds later. He seemed thrilled by the attention, thinking I was playing some long, silly game of chase. Every time he looked over his shoulder and saw me trailing behind, he giggled and picked up speed.But I wasn’t actually smiling. My chest felt tight, my head buzzed with restless thoughts. Every few seconds, my eyes would automatically wander off to check the windows, the doors, the corners of the rooms. I knew I was being irrational, but that didn’t stop the feeling that if I so much as blinked, Zeke might disappear from my field of vision once again.I couldn’t bear it.Gemini’s words were still haunting me. The way she sat there calmly with him in the study and had the gall to even act innocent afterward, as if I had overreacted... it was driving me crazy. I couldn’t tell anymore