Chapter 1

Aria's POV:

It was on Selena Hall's birthday that Carl Wood, in an unprecedented act, granted my release from confinement in the dungeon.

I raised my head and noticed the crown resting on Selena's head atop the platform, leaving my heart with a stinging pain.

"How dare you not bow before Alpha Carl and Luna Selena!"

It was then that the Beta fighter beside me brutally shoved me, sending me stumbling to the ground before I performed the required bow mechanically.

Carl, without allowing me to rise, asked flatly, "Why did you take two hours when it only takes half an hour to walk from the dungeon? Did you have no desire to attend the birthday celebration for my Luna?"

I didn't try to defend myself. It was extremely cold and damp in the dungeon during winter, so my legs had long been frostbitten and infected, leaving me barely able to walk. I merely bowed my head and apologized obediently.

Carl seemed slightly taken aback before letting out a mocking laugh. "You have become considerably more docile now, Aria."

I had indeed become more docile, as my previous defiance had resulted in him throwing me into a silver cage for an entire night of torment, and on the following day, I was covered in festering wounds, but he had various remedies procured, deliberately sustaining my life while refusing to let me succumb to death.

"You should get up, Aria. You were once the dignified heiress of the Silver Moon pack, after all. You shouldn't reduce yourself to a mere attendant just because the Silver Moon pack has been annihilated," Selena said as she reached out to assist me; though she spoke kindly, her speech deliberately struck at the core of my sorrow.

Selena suddenly spotted the beaded bracelet on my wrist, a look of admiration flickering in her eyes. She immediately declared that she wanted it as her birthday present.

I glanced at Carl and noticed that his gaze was cold and obscure, successfully masking any emotion he might have harbored.

It was the day of our graduation from Lumina Academy, and we were about to go our separate ways when Carl personally put the bracelet on my wrist under the Moonlight Tree.

He had told me it was a cherished family heirloom, with each bead crafted from premium medicinal herbs that could soothe discomfort, ease pain, and grant the wearer a longer life.

I had been frail since I was young, and upon giving me the bracelet, he expressed his hope for my lifelong safety and well-being. I thought it no longer served me any purpose now, so I took it off with a smile and presented it to Selena, saying, "I'll give it to you since you like it, Luna Selena."

I thought I caught a glimpse of Carl's body stiffening out of the corner of my eye. I quickly shook my head in response, dismissing the possibility that it was anything more than my imagination.

Selena commanded her maid to bring over a tray. She made sure her last phrase was heavily emphasized—her expression was cheerful, yet a sharp, calculating look flashed in her gaze—saying, "You can consider this wine my token of gratitude for the bracelet, Aria. You must drink every last drop of it."

Selena had been present at the border of Umbra Forest when I swapped my heart with Carl's. She knew, without a doubt, that the heart now beating inside me was Carl's—the one pierced by a silver arrow. She was aware that alcohol could harm me, yet she deliberately insisted on offering the drink.

Selena, noticing my hesitation, quickly feigned a teary look. "If you didn't want to offer that bracelet as a birthday present, I'll return it to you, Aria."

She was just about to remove the bracelet when Carl's hands held hers firmly. "You don't take back a gift once it's given. You are my Luna, so that bracelet was rightfully yours from the very beginning. You are just retrieving what's yours, Selena."

He then turned to look at me, his gaze dripping with sheer contempt while bellowing, "How could you repay Selena with such disregard when she extended her kindness by offering you some wine?"

"You shouldn't make this difficult for a humble maid like me and just accept it, Aria!" Selena's maid hastily presented the wine glass to me, only to intentionally release her grip just as my hand came to take it.

In that instant, the inexplicable boiling wine splashed across my numb, frozen fingers, immediately causing red blisters to rise. I let out an involuntary cry of pain, and the glass dropped, shattering on the floor.

Carl anxiously rose to his feet, preparing to move closer to inspect the situation.

Selena, however, quickly positioned herself in front of Carl, putting on a distressed expression.

She then clutched her chest and wailed dramatically, asking, "Is your hatred for me so deep, Aria? I distinctly remember your frequent drinking, and this Silverlight Brew was personally distilled for me by my mother—there is only one pitcher in existence.

"I wanted to treat you to this wine, even pairing it with the finest Silverlight glass, yet you broke it right before my eyes."

I widened my eyes in disbelief as she spewed all those lies—a lie that Carl had full knowledge of, as I abstained from alcohol entirely. In the past, even a single sip of alcohol would leave me incapacitated for a whole week.

I looked at Carl, holding my stinging hand, and noticed the flicker of distress in his gaze earlier was replaced by sheer frigidity. "You have squandered Selena's goodwill! You're being so ungrateful, Aria!"

He then ordered, "Get me ten jars of Blazefire Spirit!"

I knew that Blazefire Spirit, the most potent liquor the Nightfall pack brewed, was far beyond what my critically compromised body could endure. I couldn't even tolerate ordinary alcohol, let alone a fiery spirit of that caliber.

Carl asked coldly, "Do you want to drink it yourself, or should I get someone to help you, Aria?"

I thought about Carl's brutal ways and eventually managed a wry, painful expression as I asked, "Can I leave once I drink all of it?"

Carl nodded indifferently, replying, "I'll definitely let you go, Aria. You can just regard this as a bit of added entertainment for the Luna's birthday celebration."

I instantly fell silent. I simply raised the massive jar and began to guzzle the contents. I felt a ferocious burn instantly filling my throat, and my body convulsed with an involuntary retch, fighting desperately to expel the liquid.

I suppressed the wave of nausea and continued to ingest the spirit, gulping down the burning liquid relentlessly.

Those present settled in to observe the unfolding spectacle, while Carl's countenance began to steadily cloud over.

I was on my fifth jar when Carl finally snapped and bellowed, "That's enough! Are you intentionally behaving this way just to solicit pity from me, Aria?"

"I wouldn't dare," I replied as I lowered my head, but no sooner had I finished speaking than I violently spat forth a mouthful of blood.

Carl was about to step forward to help when Selena's voice rang out from behind him. "Why are you coughing up blood again, Aria? I'll have the healer attend to you without delay! You have been coughing up blood for ten years now, so we have to determine the cause!"

Having heard that, Carl's fleeting sympathy disappeared completely, giving way to sheer contempt. He then scoffed and asked, "You've been doing it for ten years, huh? You certainly know how to put on a convincing spectacle, Aria! You would have successfully misled me yet again if it weren't for Selena!"

I suddenly felt a swarm of sharp, prickling pain spread across my chest before I collapsed to the ground. I instinctively curled up, trembling as blood poured from my lips.

In the moments before total unconsciousness claimed me, I perceived the skepticism in Carl's eyes dissolve, twisting into outright terror. I then heard his voice echo toward me, growing clearer. "You're not allowed to die without my permission, Aria! You'll stay alive to atone for your sins!"

I doubted I would ever have the chance to complete the requested atonement, as I was certain my life would end in just two more days.