Chapter 8. Much is Broken
Since she had been flying just below cloud cover, to hide herself easily from any harpy/ies who may be flying back to the Raven Kingdom, Sephora hadn't noticed the lack of creatures below her at all.
To a human, this might seem a trivial detail. Yet, hawks, eagles, ravens and other such harpy all had some of the sharpest eyesight around. Owls, could even see details in dim lighting, or the complete darkness, where the ravens, eagles and hawks would fail. If it had taken her so long to notice that there was an absence of any movment... of any life... this was wrong.
"This is wrong..." Sephora muttered out loud, to herself. As she continued flying back and forward in a grid pattern, her stomach felt like it was dozens of miles below her, - on the forest floor. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her that something was very off... what sh
What do you think she's going to find at the end of the blood trail?
Chapter 55: Personal Space The castle's secret passageways were a labyrinth of shadows and whispers, a stark contrast to the resplendent throne room above. Sephora walked with a confident, measured stride, her footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls. Each step sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and the faint, lingering trace of blood, a visceral reminder of the depths of the Raven Kingdom's darkness. Black flames of the torches cast grotesque shadows on the walls, as if the very stones were alive with malevolent spirits - they probably were. The air was thick with anticipation, the heavy scent of damp earth and the faint, lingering trace of blood only serving to heighten the intensity of the moment. Sephora led Orion through the twisting passageways, her heels clicking against the cold stone floor, her breaths coming in shallow gasps that echoed off the walls like whispered
Chapter 54: Set Up, Part 3Sephora's lips curled into a wicked smile, her eyes gleaming with a dark, tantalizing light. She leaned in closer, her voice a low rumble that sent shivers down Orion's spine. "I want you to do something for me, Orion. Something... intimate." Orion's eyes widened, his breath hitching in his throat. He took a step back, his hands raising in a feeble attempt to ward her off. "Sephora, I don't... I don't understand. What are you asking me to do?" Sephora's smile never faded, her eyes never leaving his. She took a step forward, her hand reaching out to tuck a stray feather behind her ear. "You see, Orion, there was this young noble, a little while ago who had recently been promoted to work in the castle. He was charming, handsome, brilliant black hair and wings and he had the most beautiful green eyes I've ever seen. Try as I might have, he rejected me." He knew the rejections that were spoken of, because it was the rejections of all of her advances on him be
Chapter 53: Set Up, Part 2Sephora had never been one to heed warnings, especially not from her goody-two-shoes, perfect sister. She pushed the thought away, her smile returning as she approached the cell. "Orion," she cooed, her voice a low sultry rumble that echoed through the dank cell, stopping at the door. "I must say, I'm quite disappointed. I expected more of a fight from you, earlier today at court." Orion lifted his head, his face pale and gaunt in the dim light. His eyes were filled with a mix of fear and anger, his lips pressed into a thin line. "What do you want, Sephora?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, yet resonating with a raw intensity of hatred in his eyes lingered while he lookedcat yer. That sent a shiver down her spine. She leaned against the cold iron bars, her feathers rustling softly as she did so, her eyes never leaving his. "Oh, Orion," she said, her voice that low toxic purr that seemed to wrap around him like a silken rope. "Always the
Chapter 52: Set up, Part 1 The castle's new dungeons in the south wing were a labyrinth of shadows and whispers, a stark contrast to the resplendent throne room above. Sephora walked with a confident, measured stride, her footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls. Each step sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and the faint, lingering trace of blood, a visceral reminder of the depths of the Raven Kingdom's darkness. The black flames of the torches cast grotesque shadows on the walls, as if the very stones were alive with malevolent spirits. Sephora's icy blue eyes gleamed in the dim light, her feathers ruffling slightly in the chill breeze that wafted up from the dungeon's depths. She followed the twisting corridors, her heels clicking against the damp stone floor, her breaths misting in the frigid air. The dungeons were a maze of darkness and despair, a labyrinth of whispers and,
Chapter 51: Set upThe castle's new dungeons in the south wing were a labyrinth of shadows and whispers, a stark contrast to the resplendent throne room above. Sephora walked with a confident, measured stride, her footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls. Each step sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and the faint, lingering trace of blood, a visceral reminder of the depths of the Raven Kingdom's darkness. The black flames of the torches cast grotesque shadows on the walls, as if the very stones were alive with malevolent spirits.Sephora's icy blue eyes gleamed in the dim light, her feathers ruffling slightly in the chill breeze that wafted up from the dungeon's depths. She followed the twisting corridors, her heels clicking against the damp stone floor, her breaths misting in the frigid air. The dungeons were a maze of darkness and despair, a labyrinth of whispers and, not as many
Chapter 50: Sephora's Era of Lies The throne room was a symphony of black, echoing the Raven Kingdom's signature color palette. Towering walls, draped in lush, velvety fabric, bled into the high ceiling where massive crystal chandeliers cast prismatic shadows, dancing with the breeze from the open windows. The air was thick with anticipation, the scent of night flowers and distant rain filling the vast chamber. Sephora Nox, the youngest of the Raven Harpy Princesses, strode into the throne room with all the grace of a tornado. Towering walls, draped in lush, velvety fabric, bled into the high ceiling where massive crystal chandeliers cast prismatic shadows, dancing with the breeze from the open windows. The air was thick with anticipation, the scent of night flowers and distant rain filling the vast chamber. Her black feathers, white icy blue eyes, and nails seemed to glow against the murky atmosphere, drawing every eye like a moth to a flame. She wore her usual smirk, like a