The sound of hooves echoed against the stone road as the carriage rolled slowly toward the capital. The sun barely peeked through the clouds, and the morning air carried the scent of pine and damp earth.
I sat beside Selene, wrapped in a dark cloak with a hood to hide my features.Still, I could feel my horns pulsing beneath the fabric, and my right eye throbbed with restrained hunger.
"Are you alright?" she asked softly, leaning a little closer.
"Nervous," I admitted, tightening my hands in my lap. "I don't remember the last time I left those walls. Maybe… I never truly have."
Selene smiled gently."Then today will be your first. Don't worry, no one here sees you as the forbidden heir. To them, you're just… another traveler."
I wanted to believe her.And for a moment, I did.
The first sight of the capital stole my breath away.White towers rising against the gray sky, markets brimming with colorful tents, streets alive with voices, scents, and movement.Everything felt so vivid, so full of life—so opposite to the suffocating silence of the castle.
"It's… beautiful," I whispered, like a child seeing the world for the first time.
Selene looked at me with quiet pride, as though the light in my eyes was enough reward for convincing me to come."It is. Not everything out here is rotten, Nyx. Sometimes we forget there's beauty beyond dark corridors and courtly schemes."
We walked side by side down the main street, passing stalls of fruit, fabrics, and charms.People came and went, barely glancing our way. For a fleeting instant, I dared to lower my hood and let the cool air touch my face.
It felt liberating.
But the feeling didn't last.
Suddenly, my right eye began to burn. The noise of the city shifted—every heartbeat around me became a drum in my skull.A metallic scent filled my senses, sweet and intoxicating.
Blood.
I staggered, clutching Selene's arm."N-no… Selene, the hunger… it's here."
She caught me instantly, her voice urgent but steady."Breathe. Focus on me, not on them."
I tried. I focused on the deep blue of her eyes. Slowly, the thundering of heartbeats faded, though it never truly disappeared.
That's when I felt it—another presence.
Across the street, amidst the crowd, a hooded man stood still. His gaze was impossible to ignore: cold, calculating, fixed entirely on me.
A chill ran down my spine.
"Selene…" I whispered, never looking away. "We're not alone."
Her eyes narrowed as she followed my gaze.And in that moment, I knew she'd seen him too.
The capital wasn't just a place to discover.It was a field of watching eyes—and some of them had already found me.