MasukThe silence did not break. It stretched tight and suffocating, wrapping itself around Seraphina’s throat like an invisible hand.Desmond didn’t move. He simply stood there, towering over her, his presence pressing down like a storm waiting to crush everything beneath it.Seraphina swallowed. For once words failed her and she hated that.“You’re overreacting,” she said finally, her voice steadier than she felt.Desmond didn’t respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on her then he spoke.“Am I?” he said, his words heavy with something that made her pulse stutter.Seraphina lifted her chin slightly.“Yes. I kept a piece of information from you. That doesn’t make me a traitor” she continued. Desmond’s lips curved but there was no humor in it.“Be careful,” he said.Seraphina forced a laugh.“Or what? You’ll remind me again that you’re a tyrant?” she challenged.He didn’t answer immediately. Instead he stepped closer.Close enough that she could feel the heat of his body, the weight
The doors slammed shut with a force that echoed through the chamber.Seraphina stood near the center of the room, pacing back and forth, her heels striking the floor in sharp, uneven rhythms that matched the storm brewing inside her.Her hands trembled slightly at her sides, fingers curling and uncurling as if she were imagining wrapping them around someone’s throat.Becca’s face flashed in her mind and Seraphina stopped abruptly.“No,” she muttered under her breath. Ava sat nearby, perched on the edge of a velvet chair, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her expression just as dark.“I still can’t believe it. The way she spoke to you—”Ava said, her voice laced with irritation. Seraphina let out a sharp breath.“Don’t remind me.”Ava scoffed.“And Mira, that self-righteous little—” she added. “Enough.”Seraphina’s voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding.Ava fell silent while Seraphina resumed pacing.Ava leaned forward slightly.“If Eugene wins that duel…”The senten
Becca walked steadily, her posture composed, her chin slightly raised but beneath that calm exterior, her body still hummed with adrenaline.Mira walked beside her, occasionally glancing at her with something close to admiration.“I have to say, that was… impressive” Mira muttered under her breath.Becca exhaled softly.“I didn’t plan it,” she admitted.Mira smirked faintly.“Those are usually the best moments.”Becca didn’t respond immediately. Her mind was still racing, replaying everything.They had barely taken another turn down the hallway when footsteps approached from the opposite direction.Becca’s gaze lifted and then she saw Eugene and Max, both moving with urgency, their expressions serious, as if they were heading straight toward whatever chaos had erupted earlier.“Eugene,” Becca called.His head snapped up immediately.The moment his eyes landed on her, something in his expression softened.“Becca.”He closed the distance between them quickly, his gaze scanning her face
The silence that followed Becca’s rise was not calm.No one spoke or moved because something about her had changed. It wasn’t just the anger in her eyes, it was deeper than that.Seraphina straightened slowly, masking the flicker of unease that had crossed her face. Her lips curled again, though the confidence behind it was no longer as effortless as before.“Well, look at you. Finally showing some spirit” she said, her voice regaining its edge. Becca didn’t respond immediately. She simply stared and it was cold.Seraphina felt it, even if she refused to acknowledge it.“You should’ve stayed down, It suited you better” Seraphina added, folding her arms. Becca dusted her gown then looked back at Seraphina. “You talk too much” she said.Her voice was low but sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.Seraphina blinked, caught off guard.Ava’s brows furrowed slightly and Mira watched carefully, her heartbeat quickening from anticipation.Becca took a step forward.“You think pushing
Becca’s chest rose and fell with restrained fury as she stared at the guards standing firmly in her path, their expressions blank, their loyalty unmistakably aligned with Seraphina.Mira stood beside Becca, her posture rigid, her gaze sharp as she assessed the situation again, calculating, searching for any way through but there was none, not with the guards standing like an unbreakable wall.Becca exhaled slowly then her patience snapped.“I said move.”Her voice rang through the hallway, loud, commanding, no longer polite.The guards didn’t budge, not even slightly and Becca’s hands clenched at her sides.“I am not asking again,” she added, her tone sharper now, her authority unmistakable.Still, nothing happened.Behind them, Seraphina laughed. The sound alone was enough to send a ripple of anger through Becca’s chest.“Oh, Becca, you really haven’t realized it yet, have you?” Seraphina said, her voice laced with amusement.Becca’s gaze snapped to her.Seraphina took a slow step fo
Eugene and Desmond still stood facing each other, their auras pressing against one another like two storms colliding.“Enough.”Max’s voice cut through the charged silence as he stepped forward quickly, positioning himself between them.“Both of you,” he added, his tone firm.Jack moved at the same time, stepping to Desmond’s side, not in support, his hand raised slightly as if ready to hold him back if necessary.“This isn’t the time,” Jack said.Desmond didn’t look at him. His gaze remained locked on Eugene.“You’re in my way,” he said coldly.Max didn’t budge.“Then deal with it,” he replied bluntly.A ripple of tension ran through the room again. The guards shifted slightly, unsure whether to intervene or remain still.The maids stood frozen, watching everything unfold with wide, fearful eyes.Jack spoke again, this time more sharply.“Have you both lost your minds?” he demanded.That got their attention.Desmond’s eyes flicked toward him briefly and Eugene’s expression darkened s
Rowan’s smirk only made Skye very uneasy because she could tell that he was planning something in that demented scattered brain of his.“I’m talking to him” Rowan replied Skye as he adjusted a bit to Max, trying to seem intimidating. “And I’m telling you to back off,” Skye snapped.Rowan’s mood sh
Mira fought like a cornered animal.Her shoes scraped violently against the dirt as she twisted and kicked, the rough ground biting into her palms where she tried to brace herself. The cloak wrapped tightly around her body threatened to slip with every desperate movement, the fabric pulling at her
The night pressed heavily over the woods, a cloud of darkness broken only by the flickering light of torches. Wind swept through the trees, rattling the leaves and carrying the distant sound of restless animals.Eugene entered a meeting place quietly, his shoes muffled against the stone floor. His
The bar felt different by the time Max reached his third drink, somehow emptier, softer, and quieter. The early evening crowd had gone away, leaving only the faint scent of old rum and worn out wood. Max sat hunched at the bar counter, his fingers resting lazily around his cup. The foam moved ever







