The castle was quieter than usual, but the weight of it was suffocating. The deeper I wandered into its halls, the more it seemed to close in on me, each shadow thick with secrets I wasn't ready to understand.
My steps echoed in the cold silence, and as I moved, the bond pulsed softly at the base of my neck, reminding me that I couldn't escape. I couldn't ignore it anymore. I was tied to this place, to Kael, to whatever destiny the Blood Moon had set out for me.
But it didn't matter. I was more afraid of the court than the bond now.
I was trying to sort my thoughts when I heard the soft click of heels on the marble floor. Before I could turn, Selene was there, stepping out of a shadowed alcove, her dark eyes piercing through me like she could see every hesitation, every fear.
"Selene," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper.
She didn't greet me, didn't smile. There was something dangerous in her expression, something urgent.
"Come with me," she said, her voice low.
We walked in silence through the maze of corridors, each one unfamiliar, colder than the last. I could feel her presence next to me, her every movement precise and calculating. There was no warmth in her steps, no kindness in her eyes. This wasn't the same woman who'd guided me through the first few days of my stay in the palace. This Selene was distant, almost cold.
Finally, we stopped in front of a large, hidden door — one I hadn't seen before. It was ancient, the wood weathered with age, and the carvings on the surface were unlike anything else in the palace.
"Why are we here?" I asked, a tightness growing in my chest. My instincts were telling me to run, to leave, but my feet were glued to the floor.
Selene turned to me, her eyes searching mine for a moment before she spoke. "Because you don't know what you're walking into," she said, her voice quiet but heavy with meaning. "And you need to understand the truth, or you'll die in three days."
My heart stopped.
"I— I don't understand. What do you mean, I'll die?"
She gave a sharp, humorless smile, shaking her head. "You're not who you think you are," Selene said, her words cutting through the thick air like a blade.
I blinked, confused and a little scared. "What are you talking about?"
Selene hesitated for a moment before continuing, her gaze hardening. "Your bloodline is tied to this court's darkest history. Everything that's happening to you, everything that Kael has done — it's because of the blood running through your veins."
I felt a rush of fear and confusion hit me all at once. "But I— I don't understand. I'm just a— a human. I— I was just a—"
"Just a girl running from your past?" she interrupted, her tone harsh now. "You think that's all you are? Do you really believe that?"
I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off, her voice sharp.
"The Chosen are never just ordinary people. And you, you are the one the Blood Moon has chosen to carry its power forward. And Kael— Kael is trying to keep you alive, but I don't think he fully understands what's going to happen once you are."
I recoiled, my breath catching in my throat. "What do you mean? What happens if I don't—"
"If you don't survive the trials, if you don't embrace the power that is coming for you, you die." Selene's voice was blunt, almost final. "And the court will not mourn you. They will not save you. You will be forgotten."
I stood there, too stunned to speak, my mind racing with questions I couldn't answer. "But I don't want any of this!" I cried, the panic bubbling to the surface. "I don't want this power, I don't want Kael, I don't want to be a part of this!"
Selene's expression softened for a brief moment. "You may not have a choice in the matter," she said quietly. "But you do have the ability to choose how it ends."
Before I could ask what she meant, she reached into her cloak and pulled out a small, folded piece of parchment. "If you want to live, you need to know everything. You need to find out what Kael is hiding, what this court has hidden for generations. Find the truth before it's too late."
With that, she handed me the parchment, her fingers brushing against mine. I could feel the weight of her words, the tension in her touch.
She stepped back, her face hardening again. "Remember, the trials will not wait. You are about to face the truth, and I'm afraid that truth will be more than you can bear."
And with that, she turned and left me standing alone in front of the door, the ominous weight of her words pressing down on me.
As I stared down at the parchment in my hand, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was already too late. Kael had already chosen me. The court had already chosen me. And now there was no way out.
Cliffhanger:
Kael announces the Choosing is in three days. And the heroine must face the trials that will determine her future. But what truths does Kael still hide from her, and can she trust him when everything seems to be falling apart?