******Harper
The room felt colder the moment Ellis spoke the name Ravenna. It lingered in the air like smoke, heavy, suffocating, and full of untold history. I couldn't help leaning forward, my curiosity pushing past the unease curling in my stomach.
Ellis, as always, looked in control. Her golden hair shimmered faintly under the lantern light, her sharp gaze fixed on me as though measuring every flicker of emotion across my face.
"You want to know who Ravenna was?" she said softly, her tone dropping to something that made my skin prickle. "Then listen carefully, Harper. This isn't a story everyone is meant to hear."
I nodded slowly, my hands curling over the folds of my dress. "I'm listening."
Ellis drew in a slow breath, and then began.
"A long time ago, before blood was spilled, before suspicion rotted the bond between demons and witches, there was peace. They lived side by side, each respecting the other's realm. And in those days… a witch was born. A witch whose power eclipsed all others. Her name was Ravenna."
Her voice dropped lower, reverent and dangerous all at once.
"She wasn't just strong, Harper. Ravenna created spells unlike any that existed before. Words that bent reality, words that even I—after centuries—barely grasp. One of those spells is the one I handed to you."
My eyes widened as I instinctively clutched the hidden spellbook closer to me. Ravenna had written this?
Ellis gave a faint smile at my reaction. "But it wasn't only her power that drew attention. Ravenna was beautiful—so beautiful that even demons, creatures who prided themselves on resisting mortal charms, turned their heads when she passed. And one day, her beauty caught the eye of the demon lord."
She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly as though remembering the name with distaste. "…Lord Malrik. The ruler of the demons back then. Fierce. Wealthy beyond measure. Ruthless."
The name seemed to hang in the air, sharp and unfamiliar.
"He wanted Ravenna," Ellis continued. "Not just for her power, but for himself. He asked for her hand in marriage. At first, Ravenna refused—she had no intention of tying herself to anyone. But then… she saw his riches. His empire. His vaults of treasure and endless dominion. And her heart shifted."
I frowned, my lips tugging downward before I could stop myself. "So… Ravenna agreed to marry him just because of his wealth?"
Ellis's gaze cut to me sharply, unimpressed. "You interrupt too much. Do you want to hear the story, or not?"
Heat flushed my cheeks. "…I'm sorry. Go on."
"Good," she said flatly, then leaned closer, her tone smooth as silk. "Ravenna agreed. The marriage was arranged. But her heart? Her heart was never with Malrik. Her heart was consumed by greed. She didn't just want his wealth—she wanted it all. Every coin, every gem, every secret vein of power he commanded."
The air thickened around us as Ellis's voice grew sharper.
"But Ravenna wasn't foolish. She knew stealing directly from the demon lord would mean death. No, she was clever. She chose a different path. Manipulation. Control. She devised a way to ensnare the demons without lifting a blade."
I swallowed, my pulse quickening.
"And so, Harper," Ellis's lips curved into a smile both cruel and mesmerizing, "she created the Dance of Shadows. A spell woven into movement, into rhythm, into temptation itself."
Her eyes burned as she continued.
"On the day of the wedding, Ravenna dressed herself in black. Not red, as the demons wore. Not silver, as the witches preferred. Black. A gown that shimmered like obsidian under torchlight, her face hidden beneath a veil darker than midnight. She stepped into the grand hall, music began, and she danced."
I could see it in my mind's eye—the haunting sway of fabric, the echo of steps across a marble floor.
"She danced elegantly, her every movement threaded with magic. And the demons…" Ellis's voice dropped, almost whispering, "…fell under her spell. They could not look away. They could not think. They were hers. Every lord, every knight, every servant. She made them kneel without a word, all through the dance."
A chill rolled down my spine.
"She danced until midnight," Ellis said. "Her legs never faltered. Her body never tired. The demons thought her divine. They were hers to command."
My breath caught. "But… she didn't succeed, did she?"
Ellis's smile thinned. "Not quite. Because just as she was about to complete the final movement—the one that would have bound every demon in existence to her—another entered."
Her voice hardened, and for the first time, I saw something akin to bitterness flash across her features.
"Seraphina. Ravenna's twin sister."
I blinked, startled. "She had a twin?"
"Yes," Ellis said tightly. "Seraphina was Ravenna's opposite in every way. Where Ravenna was cunning and greedy, Seraphina was loyal and principled. And she couldn't let her sister destroy the fragile peace."
I leaned forward unconsciously, my chest tightening.
"Seraphina stormed the hall and shattered the spell. She forced Ravenna to stop the dance, and in that instant, the demons woke. Their fury was unchained. They turned on Ravenna, demanding her blood."
Ellis's eyes darkened, glowing faintly as she recounted the chaos.
"But the witches… the witches would not stand by and let their prodigy be slaughtered. They defended her. The demons wanted justice. The witches wanted protection. And so, the wedding turned into a battlefield."
I could almost hear it—the clashing screams, the sound of blood dripping across once-polished stone.
"Blood spilled across the hall. Blade met magic. Friend became enemy. By the time the fires burned low, peace was dead. The war between demons and witches had begun."
I sat frozen, my stomach twisting as the image unfolded in my mind.
"And Ravenna?" I whispered. "What happened to her?"
"She and Seraphina escaped," Ellis said coldly. "But they never reconciled. They became enemies, each carrying their own loyal followers. Ravenna formed her own sect, drenched in shadows and greed. Seraphina built hers on light and discipline. And from those sisters came the two great witch clans—the Raven Clan… and the Seraphina Clan."
The room was so silent I could hear my own heartbeat.
I finally breathed out, whispering, "That's… that's insane. So all of this—the banquet, the war, everything—started because of them?"
Ellis tilted her head, her smile sharp and amused. "You're amazed, aren't you?"
I nodded, still dazed. "Yes. But… what happened to them? To Ravenna and Seraphina? What was their fate?"
Her smile only deepened, enigmatic and cruel.
"That, Harper," she murmured, "is a story for another time."