Rory shoved through the gala's crowd, her dress snagging on some elf's jeweled belt. The note in her sleeve burned: You don't belong here. The Starheart will burn you. Romeus's sharp glance still lingered, like he'd seen through her weak lie. She needed out, away from Calen's wine-breath and her father's icy starestare
The System pinged, its blue panel flashing: Quest Update: Survive the Welcoming Gala. New Task: Return to Gala.
"Return?" she muttered, slipping into a shadowed hallway. The air was cool, smelling of wax and stone. A new panel flickered: Tutorial: Basic System Functions. Unlock Mana Sense? Y/N. She snorted. "Now you help? After tossing me to the wolves?" She jabbed "Y." Her skin prickled, a hum blooming in her chest.
When she opened her eyes, the world sharpened: torches flickered with blue wisps, tapestries' threads pulsed faintly. Mana Sense Unlocked. Reward: +1 Perception.
Her breath caught. The hallway's end glowed brighter, a glass door leading to a garden where trees shimmered like fireflies. Her body's memories stirred: Sylvana's sacred grove, built on the wound of a stolen gem, the Starheart, pulsing with the forest's magic. House Draconis took it centuries ago, sparking a feud that drowned both families in blood.
She shouldn't go near it, but that note meant someone knew her secret. Answers weren't in the gala.
She pushed through the door, night air thick with moss and dew. The grove was alive, leaves glowing, vines curling along paths like they were watching. Her slippers sank into soft earth as she moved deeper, the hum in her chest pulling her toward a clearing. A stone fountain stood there, its water glowing like molten starlight.
The ground lurched. Vines snapped up, thorns piercing her ankles through her dress. She yelped, stumbling, but they tightened, dragging her to her knees. Blood trickled, warm and sticky, down her shins. The System flashed: Warning: Magical Trap Activated. Escape or Neutralize. Failure: Death.
"Death?" Her voice cracked. She clawed at the vines, their thorns biting her palms, drawing more blood. They slithered up her thighs, squeezing until her bones creaked. Her new perception caught their mana: blue, pulsing, alive, like they had a mind. A vine coiled around her chest, crushing her lungs.
She gasped, vision blurring, and tried willing that mana hum to do something. Nothing. Panic clawed her throat. "Not dying in a garden!"
A roar of heat blasted the air. The vines loosened, scorched by flames, their tips curling black with a stench of burnt sap. Rory sucked in air, scrambling free, her legs shaking. Romeus stood over her, sword drawn, his jaw tight and scar sharp in the firelight. She'd seen him slip out after her at the gala, his red tunic a flash in the crowd.
"You hurt?" he asked, voice rough, sheathing his sword. The flames vanished, leaving an ashy smell.
"Bleeding, but breathing," she said, her sarcasm shaky as she wiped blood from her hands. Her heart pounded, adrenaline making her fingers tremble. She'd almost died in a garden, not a truck crash. Her old life, pizza runs, exam stress, felt like a cruel, distant taunt.
His lips twitched, but his eyes stayed sharp. "Saw you bolt. Knew you'd find trouble." He stepped closer, his presence warm, like standing near a hearth. "This grove's cursed. Sylvana traps don't play."
"Cursed?" Her stomach twisted. The note's threat echoed. She glanced at the fountain, its glow dimming like it sensed her. "You're saying someone wanted me dead?"
"Not someone," he said, voice low. "The Starheart's magic doesn't forgive trespassers." He tilted his head, studying her. "You move like you expect trouble from angles that don't exist here."
Her pulse spiked. He was too sharp, and she was too rattled to lie well. The System pinged: Quest Update: Survived Magical Trap. Reward: +1 Agility. New Task: Return to Gala. She ignored it, catching her breath. Her hands still shook, the sting of thorns raw. "Thanks for the save," she said, voice steadier.
He offered a hand to steady her, his grip firm. His thumb brushed her wrist, and her skin tingled, a shiver coiling in her gut. She pulled back, flustered. "You always this heroic, or am I lucky?"
"Lucky's one word," he said, his grin sharp. "Suspicious is another." His eyes held hers, like he was peeling back her act.
Her throat tightened. Her new perception caught a glint in the trees: silver, like a dagger's hilt, flashing in the moonlight and gone. The System flashed: Hidden Objective Unlocked: [DATA CORRUPTED: User_Threat_Level]. Reward: Unknown. Failure: Account Termination. A traitor. The thought hit cold and clear. Someone in House Sylvana knew she was a fraud, and they wanted her dead.
Rory froze, her bloody hands clenching. "Someone's out there," she whispered. Romeus's hand snapped to his sword, his body tensing as he scanned the grove. The fountain's glow snuffed out, plunging them into darkness.