Delythena's POV
Shamera sighed. "Alright, who's going?"
"I'll go" I said without hesitation.
Crisella stepped forward. "I'm coming too."
Terrence glanced at the others. "Haden and I will stay here to protect Frostbane."
Shamera nodded. "I'll stay as well. If anything happens here, someone has to be in command."
"Then it's settled," I said. "We leave immediately."
Azmier, Crisella, and I set out for Obsidian Citadel without delay.
The journey was tense none of us spoke much, each lost in our own thoughts. The attacks were happening too frequently now, and the enemies seemed to be growing bolder.
As we approached the citadel, a thick, unnatural fog blanketed the area. My grip on my weapon tightened. Something was very wrong.
"We need to be careful" Azmier muttered.
Crisella nodded. "Stay alert. We don't know what we're walking into."
Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward. "Let's move."
Without wasting any more time, we prepared to depart for Obsidian Citadel, hoping we weren't already too late.
When we arrived at Obsidian Citadel, we were shocked to see that the place was peaceful, as if everything was normal and no attack had taken place.
"Huh? Why is there no chaos?" Azmier asked in confusion.
Crisella frowned, scanning the area. "This doesn't make sense. The message we received said the village was under attack."
I narrowed my eyes, my instincts telling me something was off. The streets were calm, the people going about their day as if nothing had happened. But there was an eerie silence beneath it all too perfect, too staged.
"Be on guard" I warned. "Something isn't right."
Azmier nodded, gripping his weapon. "Either the attack ended before we got here... or this is another illusion."
Crisella exhaled sharply. "Then let's find out."
We stepped forward, ready for whatever lay ahead.
A moment later, we saw a man passing by, so I quickly approached him to ask.
"Excuse me, sir. Has there been any attack here?" I asked the elderly man.
"Attack? No, nothing of the sort" he replied, which confused us even more.
I focused my energy, trying to sense if this was an illusion, but nothing seemed out of place.
"Thank you very much" I said as the man walked away.
"This isn't an illusion" I confirmed.
Then, suddenly, a realization hit me.
"This is a trap" I said, making Crisella and Azmier look at me in confusion.
"A trap? You just said this isn't an illusion," Crisella asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I think they attacked Frostbane Citadel instead" I explained.
Azmier frowned. "And what makes you say that?"
"I don't sense any illusion here, but I did feel something strange before we left Frostbane. I wasn't sure at the time, but now it makes sense" I admitted.
"We were tricked!" Crisella exclaimed.
"We need to go back" Azmier said urgently.
"You two go ahead. I have something to take care of at the mansion" I told them.
Neither of them protested.
I headed straight to our mansion, and as soon as I arrived, I felt an unfamiliar energy lingering in the air.
I went directly to my room, only to find Evely inside. She flinched slightly upon seeing me.
"L-Lady Delythena, you're back?" she asked hesitantly.
I narrowed my eyes. "What are you doing there?" I asked, noticing her standing near my closet.
"I was just arranging your clothes" she replied smoothly.
"Was there any trouble here?" I questioned, watching her reaction closely.
She furrowed her brows. "No, Lady. Everything has been peaceful. Why?"
"When we were in Frostbane, we heard that Obsidian was under attack" I explained.
Evely shook her head. "There's been no trouble here. Maybe you just received false information."
"Where are my parents?" I asked.
"They went on another journey. Only us servants and the guards remain here" Evely replied, and I nodded in understanding.
"Are you hungry, Lady? Would you like me to prepare something for you?" she offered.
"I'm fine" I said.
"Alright, I'll leave you to rest then," she said with a bow before turning to leave.
But just as she was about to turn fully, my eyes widened in shock.
Peeking from beneath her sleeve, I caught sight of something I had never noticed before a faint trace of green veins running along her hand.
It was subtle, but now that I had seen it, I couldn't ignore it.
A chill ran down my spine.
I stared at her hand, my mind racing. I had seen that green vein before, in the people who had been attacking villages. It couldn't be a coincidence.
"Evely" I said, my voice a little more strained than I intended.
She froze for a moment, but quickly composed herself, turning back to face me with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Yes, Lady Delythena?" she asked, her voice calm, but there was a certain tension in the air.
"What happened to your hand?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
She glanced down at her hand briefly before looking back at me, a slight frown forming on her face.
"It's nothing, Lady. Just a little accident" she replied, but I could sense the lie in her tone.
"Next time be careful." I said.
Evely looked at me, her expression softening for a moment, before quickly masking it again with a polite smile.
"Of course, Lady Delythena" she replied, her voice steady, but I could still sense a hint of tension in her tone.
I gave her one last searching look, then turned and left the room, my mind buzzing with questions. There was something she wasn't telling me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that the answers I needed were closer than I thought.
As I walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but wonder how many more people in this mansion were hiding secrets? And what exactly was going on behind the scenes? The puzzle was becoming more complicated by the minute.
I entered the secret passage leading to the enchanted library. As soon as I stepped inside, I immediately searched for the book that answered questions. But to my shock, it was gone.
"Where is it?" I rummaged through the entire library, despite its vast size, but I couldn't find it. Then, a thought suddenly struck me.
Water has memory.
I formed a square-shaped water spell, allowing it to reveal the memories within the library. My eyes widened as the vision unfolded before me Evely, dressed entirely in black, entering the library.
And there, clear as day, I saw it the same green veins on her hands, just like the ones we had seen in Frostbane.
She took the book... and then, in an instant, it vanished.
"Who... are you?"
I clenched my fists as the water's memory faded, my heart pounding. Evely... what was she planning? And why did she need that book?
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. If she had stolen the book, there had to be a reason. And if she was involved with the same people who attacked Frostbane, then things were worse than I thought.
I needed answers.
Without wasting another second, I turned and left the enchanted library, my mind racing. If Evely was hiding something, then I had to find out what. And if she was truly working with the enemy... then I had no choice but to stop her.
Suddenly, the words of the woman I met in the mortal world echoed in my mind—her warning not to trust so easily and that not everyone close to me was truly an ally.
When I reached the dining room, I saw Evely cleaning. I composed myself. I needed to be wise.
"Evely, have you seen the novel I was reading in the library?" I asked casually.
"No, Lady. But I can look for it if you'd like" she replied.
A smirk formed on my lips. I got you.
There was only one library in this mansion the enchanted one. And only those with magic could enter.
Evely's eyes widened in shock as I suddenly conjured magical vines that wrapped around her body, restraining her.
"L-Lady, what are you doing?" she stammered, her voice filled with panic.
"That's my question" I said coldly, narrowing my eyes at her. "What exactly are you doing? And more importantly who are you?"
"What are you talking about, Lady Delythena? Let me go!" she protested, struggling against the vines.
I narrowed my eyes. "Stop acting, Evely. If you really wanted to, you could free yourself."
Her expression faltered for a moment, shock flashing in her eyes. Then, to my surprise, she smirked.
"You got me, argh it's so tiring to pretend" she admitted, her voice shifting into something colder more confident.
I clenched my jaw. "What are you really up to?"
Evely tilted her head, her smirk widening. "The real question is what are you going to do now?"
I tightened my grip on the vines, making them coil even tighter around her limbs. "Answer me, Evely. What have you done with the book?"
She let out a low chuckle, completely unfazed by my attempt to restrain her. "Oh, that old thing? It's in good hands now. You won't be needing it anymore."
My heart pounded. "Who are you working for?"
She sighed dramatically. "You ask too many questions, lady. But since I do admire your persistence... I'll give you a hint." She leaned forward slightly, her green-veined hands glowing faintly. "The chaos you fear it's only just begun."
"Why are you doing this?" I demanded.
"Why?" Evely repeated with a smirk. "I don't know... maybe because we're not the ones pulling the strings."
My eyes narrowed. "Who's behind this?"
Her grin widened, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Do you think I'm stupid enough to tell you?"
I clenched my fists, trying to keep my anger in check.
"If you think you can get away with this, you're wrong" I said coldly.
Evely only chuckled. "Oh, Delythena... you still don't understand, do you? You're already too deep in this game."
A chill ran down my spine at her words. "What do you mean?"
She tilted her head, her green-veined hand twitching slightly. "You'll find out soon enough."
Before I could react, a dark mist erupted around her, and in an instant, she was gone.
I cursed under my breath, quickly scanning the room for any trace of where she might have gone. But there was nothing no energy signature, no lingering presence. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.
Slamming my fist against the table, I took a deep breath to calm myself. This was bad. If Evely had been working with whoever was behind this, then I had been blind for too long.
I needed to warn the others.
Without wasting another second, I turned and rushed out of the room, heading straight for Frostbane Citadel.
As I raced toward Frostbane Citadel, my mind was in chaos. If Evely had infiltrated my home, who knew how many more spies were lurking around us? And worse what exactly were they planning?
By the time I arrived, the sight before me made my stomach drop.
The gates were wide open, the guards unconscious on the ground. Dark energy lingered in the air, thick and suffocating. I clenched my fists. I was right this was a trap, and we had walked straight into it.
I didn't hesitate. I rushed inside.
The halls of Frostbane Citadel were eerily silent, except for the occasional flicker of torchlight casting shadows along the stone walls. My pulse pounded in my ears as I navigated through the corridors, stepping over fallen guards.
Then, I heard it faint voices coming from the main hall.
I pressed myself against the wall, peering inside. A group of figures in dark cloaks stood in a circle, their hands glowing with the same eerie green veins I had seen on Evely.
Crisella and Azmier were nowhere in sight.
I gritted my teeth, assessing the situation. I couldn't charge in blindly not when I didn't know how many more of them were hiding. But I couldn't just stand here either.
I took a deep breath, then stepped into the hall.
"If you wanted my attention, you could've just asked" I said, my voice echoing.
Where are Terrence, Shamera, and Haden?
I couldn't see them all. After a while, the three of them came running.
"What's going on here?" Shamera asked, looking surprised.
"I thought you were supposed to be keeping watch here?" I said.
"We got distracted by the number of enemies." Terrence said.
I was shocked when I saw the green veins on their hands.
"What's happening?" I asked, confused.
"We don't know, the enemies just suddenly appeared." Haden said.
"It's not that, it's your hands." I said.
Terrence, Shamera, and Haden looked at their hands, and all three were taken aback when they noticed the green veins snaking up their arms.
"What is this?" Shamera asked, her voice tinged with worry.
"I... I don't know" Terrence replied, shaking his head. "This wasn't here before."
Haden clenched his fist, clearly disturbed by the change. "This has to be connected to what's going on. But we didn't do anything to cause this."
I took a step closer, my mind racing. The presence of the green veins was unmistakable it was the same as what we saw in the Frostbane Citadel.
Soon enough, I was shocked when dark energy surrounded me.
"What's happening?" my mind right now is full of questions.
My eyes widened as black veins spread across my entire body, immobilizing me. What confused me even more was why I was the only one affected, and why the others weren't involved.
My eyes widened even further when the three of them suddenly transformed, wearing black, and their green veins on their hands began to glow.
"What's happening? Who are you?!" I asked angrily, my mind racing with confusion. I couldn't tell what was real or who was truly behind this.
For a moment, a woman in a green cloak appeared, her face hidden by a veil, making it hard for me to recognize her.
"Who are you? Who are all of you?!" I shouted.
"Too many questions" she replied, her voice eerily familiar, just like the one I had heard when I was in the cave.
"How does it feel when the people you thought were by your side aren't truly your allies?" she said.
I glanced at Terrence, Shamera, and Haden. They didn't seem like illusions, and it looked like they were indeed part of this woman's group.
The woman in the green cloak took a step forward, her eyes piercing through the veil. "You've been naive, Delythena," she said, her tone almost mocking. "Did you really think you were the only one with power? That you were the only one being watched?"
I couldn't move, the black roots still binding me tightly, but my mind was racing. "What do you want? Why are you doing this?"
She smiled behind her veil, an unsettling smile. "You're an important piece, Delythena. But you need to understand: this world, these people around you, they're all part of the game. And you're just beginning to play."
I turned to look at Terrence, Shamera, and Haden once more, my heart sinking. They didn't react, their faces unreadable. Had they been working with this woman all along? Or had they been manipulated like I had been?
"Don't worry" the woman continued, her voice dripping with condescension. "Your role in this isn't over yet. You'll see soon enough."
I struggled against the black roots, but they only tightened, reminding me of how powerless I truly was in that moment.
"Why did you target the Obsidian Citadel?" I asked, still trying to make sense of everything.
The woman chuckled softly, her eyes gleaming with malice. "The Citadel? Oh, it's all part of the plan. Everything has been orchestrated for a reason. But you're too far gone to understand it all right now."
The room felt smaller, suffocating, as the weight of her words pressed down on me.
"It's true what Savena said, deceitful." I muttered.
The words echoed in my mind, the truth dawning on me. I had been fooled, just like everyone else around me. The trust I had placed in people I considered allies, the belief that they were fighting for the same cause I had been blind.
The woman in the green cloak tilted her head, almost as if she could sense my realization. "Yes, you're finally starting to understand, Delythena. The web is more complicated than you think. Nothing is as it seems."
I felt the anger rise within me, but I had no power to act on it. The black roots continued to hold me, rendering me immobile.
"But why?" I asked, my voice shaking with frustration. "Why play with us? Why all this destruction?"
She stepped closer, her presence imposing despite the veil covering her face.
"Because I want to conquer the world and have you all as my pawns," she said coldly. "I wish you had never woken up from the illusion I gave you. I wish you could've continued living in that mortal world."
Her words sent a chill down my spine. The realization hit me like a wave. Everything the people I trusted, the battles we fought, the lives we saved had all been part of her manipulation, a mere game for her to control. She had orchestrated everything from the start, leading us into this twisted web of deceit.
I tried to move, but the black roots constricted tighter around me. The more I struggled, the stronger they seemed to grow. She was enjoying every moment of my helplessness.
"You're the one behind this?" I asked, my voice shaking with disbelief.
She grinned. "Illusion is my ability," she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "I've been manipulating everything around you shaping reality to my will. All the confusion, the pain, the lies... It was all part of my design."
I felt a sinking sensation in my chest, as if the world around me was crumbling. The people I thought I could trust, the battles we had fought together everything was just an illusion created by her. And now, I was trapped in her web, struggling to escape the reality she had crafted for me.
Her grin widened as she spoke. "You need to enter my illusion again," she said, and suddenly, she conjured a massive green light that illuminated the entire space.
"Not possible!" I shouted, feeling the pressure building up inside me.
"Water spirit, I summon you!" I cried out, and the shock was evident on her face.
"Are you sure?" came the voice of the water spirit, a voice only I could hear.
"Yes, because everyone here must be affected" I replied, determination flooding my words.
"As you wish, lady supreme" the spirit responded, and suddenly, a powerful tsunami and vortex of water surged forth, unstoppable by any power.
"You fool!" the woman screamed in rage.
Everyone around me screamed as they were swallowed by the water. The green veins that had ensnared me faded, and I was free once more.
"Everything comes with a price, Delythena!" the woman shouted as she and the others vanished in the torrent.
A wave of exhaustion hit me, and my vision turned dark, everything blurring as I felt my strength leave me. I could barely hear the familiar voice calling my name
"My lady..." before I lost consciousness entirely.