MasukMemories surged through her mind as a sudden tightening gripped her throat and Lillia touched her neck. She could still vividly remember Amelia’s blood shot eyes that watched her with pure animosity. She remembered the unnatural voice that echoed from her lips, the words she hated to think about, but she couldn’t stop the invasion. Lillia stilled for a moment watching the peacefully sleeping figure on the bed and a cold shudder ran down her spine, the tightening at her throat hardened.But in that same light, Lillia lowered her gaze and forced the images and thoughts to the back of her mind. She drew in a deep breath and when she was ready, she looked at Amelia again. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. There was no tension in her body, no crease upon her brow, no sign of the struggle. It seemed so natural that it felt wrong. “The healers said she’s alright. They say there’s nothing wrong with her body,” Nefertiti sat on the bed and took Amelia’s hand in hers, and this tim
Regaleon is not another Pete. He will not let such happen. Fenris rose, her presence enveloping the coldness within Lillia’s chest in a warm embrace. Besides, having seen the kind of person he is, if he wanted to dispose of you, he wouldn't buy us an extra seven days without a plan.Fenris continued firmly, every word lifting Lillia’s spirit.Why buy us time if he doesn't want anything to do with us? Why buy us time if he doesn't trust in our abilities. He wouldn’t even bother to drop information of Damiel's ploy. Have you forgotten that we were the ones that told him to sit back and watch while we prove ourselves? He is waiting for us.How could I forget? Lillia gritted her teeth as she endured the suffocating pain swelling within her heart. Strength is not forged in comfort. It is shaped in difficulty. Especially when failure is apparent. That’s what he had said. Lillia thought back quickly, realisation slamming into her mind with painful clarity.It almost felt as though he knew.
No sooner had Maera, Kyla and Selene entered the bedroom, the heated air shifted. With the dark curtains now parted, rays of sunlight flooded the room, warm and bright, bringing with it the subtle sweetness of life, accompanied by the bustling voices of one who became a sister, one a friend and one a mother.And it was this environment that the elder healer walked into, when the doors opened again.“Elder healer.” Lillia’s expression was still pale, her ears flushing bright red as she managed a smile, but one look at Lillia’s face and the elder healer’s expression turned sour.“Your Majesty.” His steps quickened, hurrying to the side of the bed. “Are you alright?” He wasted no time in reaching for her palm to check her pulse, and only when he confirmed her condition did his expression ease up. “Your pulse is strong, and your body has fully recovered. But… I do not understand these symptoms...”He examined her face, a frown settling when he noticed her ears. “I have certainly never com
“My death-defying bride.” Regaleon’s eyes darkened. His gaze dragged over her slowly before returning to her eyes. “You return from the brink of death… only to ogle?”His lips curved, amusement crossing his expression lightly. “I wonder… was death truly so lacking that you return for a more satisfying view? Was it worth it?”Lillia swallowed hard, her face burning with shame, cursing at the reaction his low deep vibrating voice dealt her body as it rolled off smoothly with his warm breath splashing across her face. “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Memories from the banquet rushed through her mind in brutally painful fragments, but none of them helped her now, not with the way his gaze lingered on her like he could peel through every lie she tried to hold together.The intensity with which he watched her was so strong that the room around seemed to blur out of Lillia’s view until there was nothing but oblivion left. An oblivion with just one constant in it. And she could
When Lillia became fully aware of her surroundings, she immediately sat up with urgency, her senses snapping into place all at once. And the first thing she realised was that this was not her chamber. So where was she? Her fingers twitched against the sheets as her gaze drifted downward. They were a dark shade of grey silk, smooth beneath her touch and cold, much like the ceiling above. As a matter of fact, everything in the room carried that same cold, dark and controlled tone.Instead of the soft cream curtains that filtered light gently into her chambers, these were heavy black drapes, drawn just enough to allow thin blades of sunlight to cut through, casting long shadows across the room rather than warmth.Every piece of furniture was placed with purpose, from the broad, imposing bed she sat upon, to the polished surfaces that reflected just enough light to reveal their presence without drawing attention. Even the air felt different. It was still and grounded, carrying a quiet
It was always a different tale. For everyone who had fought with death, and lived to tell the story; it was always a different experience—terrifying. Peaceful. Saddening. Rush. There also were never many who had kicked death in the teeth, and lived to tell the story unscathed.They were called death whisperers, because they were never the same again. One way or the other, their souls bore a mark, having escaped the tight grip of death. And for them, it is said that one way or the other, sooner or later, death would come for what it was owed.Perhaps, death had come for Lillia, and once again, she had snatched her soul right out of its grip. She had stared it in the face and kicked it in its teeth.That could never have been said for the woman she used to be, and even as she sunk deeper into the black waters, slipping into unconsciousness, and into the darkness until no trace of her remained at the surface… She did not fight it.Everything had once been loud, and this does not refer to
Shane turned in disbelief, expecting fury, but the person being insulted did not seem the least bit bothered. Regaleon stood utterly still, exceedingly calm, as he watched and listened quietly. “How lucky,” another voice continued lazily, unaware of how near death stood to them. “He’d better enjo
Blue fire cracked in the dead of night, throwing jittering shadows across the walls of a tent that looked like it had withstood the tests of time. Animal skulls; foxes, wolves, and a few larger unidentifiable beasts hung from fraying cords, their hollow eyes catching the light like silent witnesse
“Lady Briar Rose Montclair.” Silence stretched heavily as Eva sniffed softly.Lillia stared into space recalling all the expressions, the smiles, the subtle conversations that felt insulting yet very relatable. She had felt pity for this woman because her words resonated with her experiences. Ev
"Is this… really me?”When Eva finally stood in front of the full-length mirror, barely recognising herself, she cried. Her palms touched her face, hair, and jewelry, before finally brushing down her gown. Like pieces to a whole, everything fitted perfectly. Her gown flowed down in a luminous whit







