Valoreth returned to his chamber, barely able to stay on his feet. He staggered, holding the nearby table for support.Sleep.By the gods, he needed a moment away from the voices in his head.His eyes settled on a painting on the wall. One he hadn’t noticed before leaving the room.“How did this get here?” he whispered, stepping closer.It was a painting of a dark-skinned, beautiful woman. Ocean-blue eyes, thick lashes, full lips curled into a dark smirk, an expression of hate. The painting felt alive, as though she were truly there, glaring at him.“Mearina,” Valoreth whispered. There had never been a painting of her that looked like this. So how?He dropped to his knees, struggling to breathe.“Why are you… haunting me, Mearina? We both agreed you'd die so why are you being selfish?!” he croaked. “Is it because I want to marry our daughters off? Fine! I’ll leave them alone. It's pointless anyway. The realm will fear me. There will be no king or queen. Just me.”“Me!!!” he roared. “S
All Arianna said was true. Valoreth had been pushed over the edge, and now his decision had become too desperate. Evoking fear was the only way he could maintain control.'This is King Duncan's prediction. All you need to do is keep your head low and let us handle the rest.'Elder Varyn took a deep breath as Arianna's words echoed in his head. He wondered where King Duncan might be at the moment. Honestly, Duncan scared Elder Varyn the most.Who knows what the King of the Realm was about to do? But whatever it is, he trusted him."I demand silence!" Valoreth roared. The space fell quiet. No one had seen where the shots came from, so all lowered their voices."I know what you’re thinking. I’m a murderer. I’ve committed one of the greatest crimes this realm has ever seen. And let me tell you something," his voice dropped, cold and dangerous, "I killed the most powerful male in the realm and also a daughter of the Dragon Goddess. Doesn’t that mean you should fear me? That you should keep
The gathering was happening tonight, and all Alphas were to attend. It was the talk of the town. Many were unsettled because the gathering was meant to dispel the rumors about the previous King, Duncan. Some believed he had been poisoned and killed by those in power. Others believed he was alive and possibly trapped somewhere, as rumors about a coffin and spell had spread. There was so much confusion to clear, so many unanswered questions. All the realm wanted was an explanation. But one thing baffled them... Why was the gathering scheduled for nightfall under the full moon? Only Valoreth knew the answer. It wasn't just a night of gathering. It was a night of terror. Tonight, he was going to set everything straight and let the realm know that doubting him came with consequences. Valoreth allowed the maids to dress him in his robe and apply makeup to conceal his ghostly appearance. After they finished, he dismissed them, his gaze fixed on the mirror. Staring back at him was a male
"This is so pretty. It looks just like Eryndor. It reminds me so much of Selene," Lylah said as they gathered in the private room.Sylra nervously stared at the creature in her arms, which was eyeing everyone as if marking their faces, especially Cal, whose mouth wouldn’t stay closed."Do you mind if I shove a piece of bread into your mouth and choke you?" Eshara asked."Don't you see it, Eshara? They’ll soon be Dragon Keepers and my adopted mom is one now! It's a big thing. I can't even wrap my head around it. What if I get to have a dragon too?"Eshara smacked him on the head. "You think the goddess will choose you?""Why are you so hard on me? You like me or something?" Cal whined.Eshara rolled her eyes."Have you figured out a name for it yet?" Lylah asked Sylra."No... I'll do that later. The goddess will show me the way. Uhm... how's Rheal?""I'm good," Rheal said, stepping into the room with Sylra's sister, a small smile on his face. "I'm here to see the creature and say goodb
That night, Valoreth was haunted by nightmares again. This time, Duncan was seated on the throne like the devil he was, laughing at him. Those piercing golden eyes sent chills down his spine. Behind the throne, flames glowed to life… “You won’t escape me, Valoreth,” he said, his voice echoing in several deep, overlapping tones. As if that wasn’t enough, Arianna appeared beside him, looking like the dead. Dark cracks crawling across her skin, her eyes white, her head crooked to the side in an eerie, unnatural way. A creepy grin spread across her lips as she whispered in a haunting voice: “We’ll haunt you forever. There’s always a space in hell for scumbags like you.” The grin widened. “You’ll forever and forever pay for your mistake… Valoreth Bellion,” she finished in a low, deadly whisper. “Forever.” Valoreth shivered in place. “You’re dead! You’re fucking dead!” he screamed. Suddenly, they vanished, disappearing into thin air. The space turned pitch black and silent, save for
Fire crackled, casting a warm glow in the room. Valoreth stood by the window frame, drowned in thought. "So, have you found out who this mysterious savior of the realm is?" Damaris, seated behind him, asked. Valoreth rolled his eyes. "What's the point of investigating? Aren’t they doing us a favor already? There's no need to waste time on it. Instead, we should focus on the upcoming gathering and claim the saving efforts as our own." "But still, Valoreth, we need to see it through. Remember the scrolls in the king's study went missing. Someone stole and tended to them. Don’t you think we should know who it really was?" Damaris looked uneasy. Valoreth turned sharply from the window to face him. "Could be one of the lower-ranked lords. Lord Merek or Lord Atheon, maybe. Probably trying to show off. Why are you so troubled about this? Did you find something?" Damaris sighed. "Well… one of the Alphas on our side overheard something strange. Someone claimed they saw a male with sil