Elena froze. That voice—smooth, venomous, and haunting, pierced straight into her bones. Even in this second life, it carried the same poison that had once destroyed her.
Her lips parted in disbelief. "Lila…"
The figure stepped fully into the pale moonlight that spilled through the shattered windows. Lila wore her usual delicate smile, the kind that once charmed Elena into trusting her blindly. But now, to Elena's eyes, it was nothing but the smile of a serpent coiled and waiting to strike.
"I wondered how long it would take you," Lila said sweetly, brushing a strand of hair from her face as if this were a casual meeting. "You've been… different lately. Smarter. Sharper. Almost as if..." her smile widened "you've been given another chance."
Elena's stomach twisted. Did Lila know? No… impossible. Unless she was testing her.
Before Elena could answer, Adrian's grip on her wrist tightened. His voice, low and cold, sliced through the tension.
"Why are you here, Lila?"
Lila's eyes flicked to him, and for a moment her expression hardened, just slightly, before she recovered her mask of sweetness. "Adrian Chen. Always the protector, aren't you?" Her tone dripped with mockery. "But tell me… who are you protecting her from? Me? Or yourself?"
Elena's breath caught. Those words—sharp, loaded—hung in the air like a dagger.
Adrian's jaw flexed, but he said nothing.
Lila tilted her head, her eyes sliding back to Elena. "You look at me as if I'm a ghost. What's wrong, Elena? You used to trust me with everything. Or have you finally learned that friendship can be a very expensive illusion?"
Rage flared hot in Elena's chest, almost choking her. In her first life, she had been blind—naïve enough to confide in this girl who would later stab her in the back. Not again. Not this time.
"Don't act like you know me," Elena said sharply, her voice trembling not with fear but fury. "The days when I believed your lies are over."
For the first time, Lila's smile faltered. Her eyes narrowed slightly, calculating. "Interesting. You really have changed. The Elena Zhou I knew would have clung to me, begged for my approval."
Elena took a step forward, yanking her wrist free from Adrian's grasp. "The Elena you knew is dead."
The words rang through the hollow library, echoing like a promise.
For a heartbeat, silence reigned. Dust floated in the moonlight. Even the shadows seemed to hold their breath.
Then Lila laughed. Soft at first, then sharper, echoing off the broken shelves. "Oh, Elena… you think you're stronger now. But strength without cunning is useless. And you—" she leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper—"you're still the same foolish girl. That second chance you think you have? I'll make sure it ends before it even begins."
Adrian moved instinctively, stepping between them, his presence a shield. His voice was low, dangerous. "Try it, and you'll regret it."
Lila's eyes glimmered with something unreadable—amusement, challenge, perhaps even recognition. "Protect her all you want, Adrian. But remember...wolves can't guard sheep forever. Eventually, hunger wins."
With that, she turned, her footsteps echoing as she melted back into the shadows of the library. The door creaked shut behind her, leaving only silence in her wake.
Elena stood frozen, her hands clenched so tightly her nails bit into her skin. Her heart pounded with a mix of rage and fear. She hated the way Lila could still shake her, still twist her world with just a few words.
Adrian turned to her, his eyes sharp and unreadable. "You know her," he said, more a statement than a question.
Elena's breath shuddered out. She couldn't afford to reveal the truth—not yet. Not even to him.
"She's not what she seems," Elena said quietly, her voice firm despite the tremor in her chest. "And I won't let her destroy me again."
Adrian studied her for a long moment, as though he could see straight through her. Then he stepped back, hands sliding into his pockets, his tone deceptively casual. "Good. Because she looked at you like a predator looks at prey. And I don't like watching people get eaten alive."
Elena swallowed hard, her eyes flicking to the door where Lila had disappeared. The serpent had returned.
And this time, Elena swore to herself, she would be the one holding the knife.