Serafina somehow tore herself free from Damien's iron grip and the wounds of his words, then ran again like a madwoman. This time she didn't head toward the palace. Instead, she took the most treacherous path through the forest and arrived before the massive ice-cold waterfall.
There was no one around. Except for the thunderous roar of the waterfall, the entire area was eerily silent. From above, ice-mixed water crashed down with brutal force, filling the surroundings with mist and spray.
A Solitary Cleansing
Serafina felt as if every place Damien had touched was burning like fire. She couldn't endure it anymore. Still wearing her black-and-red mixed night dress, she stepped beneath the bone-chilling water of the waterfall.
Scene:
Under the violent torrent, her long black hair streamed down her back. The soaked fabric clung tightly to her body. She scrubbed her face and wrists over and over with both hands, as if trying to erase the imprint of Damien's fingers.
Mental state:
She wanted to scream and cry, but her sobs were swallowed by the roar of the waterfall. Her lips trembled, her entire body turning blue from the cold, yet she refused to stop. She murmured to herself,
"Why do I become weak in front of him? Why does my body react so strangely to his touch?"
A Mysterious Silence
Beneath the massive curtain of water, Serafina looked small and helpless. She sank onto a rock, the water pouring endlessly over her head. With her eyes closed, she tried to calm herself.
Suddenly, she felt as if someone was watching her from a rocky crevice behind the waterfall. She opened her eyes at once, but through the mist and crashing water, nothing was clear.
Trembling in the water, Serafina called out,
"Who's there? I know you're here. Why don't you come out?"
No answer came—only the echo of the waterfall. Serafina couldn't tell whether Damien had finally left her alone, or whether he was hiding in the darkness, savoring her suffering.
Lily had returned to the palace, left Ice with her mother, and immediately felt restless. Serafina's shattered expression and her insistence on staying alone in the garden felt ominous. Without thinking, Lily grabbed a heavy shawl and ran toward the familiar waterfall in the forest.
The Scene by the Waterfall
The moment Lily reached the waterfall, her heart skipped a beat. Serafina was still sitting motionless beneath the freezing torrent. Her black-and-red dress clung to her soaked body, her long hair plastered down by the force of the water.
Lily screamed,
"Serafina! Oh God, have you gone mad? You'll die in this cold!"
Struggling over the slippery rocks, Lily forced her way into the water and grabbed Serafina's arm, trying to pull her up. Serafina had turned completely blue from the cold, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.
Serafina (in a faint voice):
"Lily… why won't he leave me alone? Why do I keep coming back here?"
Lily dragged her out of the water and wrapped her tightly in the heavy shawl. Serafina's eyes were unnaturally red, as if a fierce fever was burning inside her.
Lily said urgently,
"Quiet! Not a word. We need to get you inside now. If Arias sees you like this, we're finished."
Eyes in the Darkness
As Lily half-carried Serafina toward the palace, someone watched them from a high rocky ledge above the waterfall. Two red eyes burned in the darkness.
Damien pressed a torn scrap of Serafina's dress to his nose and smiled with demonic calm.
He whispered,
"Wash yourself as much as you like, Serafina. My mark on your soul will never fade."
Lily felt the forest air suddenly grow heavy and unnaturally warm. Clutching Serafina, she hurried toward the palace.
Serafina's Illness
Only minutes after laying Serafina on the bed, Lily realized her fears were justified. Serafina's body was burning with fever.
She began to mutter deliriously, her body shaking violently. Lily quickly changed her out of the wet night dress, dressed her in warm clothes, and wrapped her in thick blankets.
Serafina murmured in her fever,
"No… let go… Lily, those red eyes are watching me… the darkness is swallowing me…"
As Lily placed a cold compress on her forehead, fear gripped her heart. In Arias's palace, no illness occurred without magic. This was no ordinary fever—it was the effect of Damien's dark power.
Lily noticed faint steam rising from Serafina's skin, as if fire burned inside her. Damien's touch and the icy waterfall had created a terrifying conflict within her body.
Just then, heavy boots sounded outside the door.
Lily froze.
"Oh God… is Arias here? If he sees her like this, what will I say?"
The door opened slowly—without a knock.
A tall shadow stood there.
It was Arias himself.
Arias Enters
Clad in a regal gray robe, Arias entered with calm features and piercing eyes. His gaze went straight to Serafina's bed.
Arias said in a low voice,
"Lily, why is the room so dark? And why is Serafina trembling like this?"
When he touched Serafina's forehead, she shuddered. His eyes narrowed. He sensed not only fever, but the residue of another's touch—rage mixed with darkness.
On her wrist, faint red marks still remained.
Arias said coldly,
"I know she left the palace tonight. This fever isn't just weather—it's a battle of dark forces."
Leaning close, he whispered,
"Who touched you, Serafina?"
In her delirium, Serafina clung to him, crying,
"Arias… where were you? I was so afraid. The red eyes were chasing me…"
Arias held her tightly.
"I slept for three months… but now I'm awake. And whoever took advantage of my absence will pay for every moment."
Serafina slowly calmed in his arms, though her deepest wounds remained.
Betrayal and Departure
Later that night, Serafina awoke and wandered the silent corridors. When she looked into Arias's chamber, she saw him standing close to Lily—too close.
Her heart shattered.
The next morning, rage exploded.
She confronted Arias, accusing him of betrayal. Arias fired back, accusing her of being with Damien. Words turned into weapons.
Finally, Serafina declared:
"From today, I tear myself away from this palace. I choose the darkness—at least there is no hypocrisy there!"
She struck Lily in fury and left.
Arias watched from above, his eyes burning red.
The Red Garden
Beyond the palace gates, the garden had transformed.
The snow was blood-red.
Flowers burned crimson.
The sky itself glowed like spilled blood.
At the center sat Damien on a black stone throne, holding a red rose dripping like blood.
He smiled.
"Welcome, Serafina. I knew you'd return."
She stood before him, fearless.
He touched her chin with the rose.
"I want you to be the queen of this red garden. Are you ready to surrender to my dark empire?"
Suddenly, memory struck her.
Paris. A rain-soaked night.
Serafina whispered sharply,
"Paris… you're that mafia lord… the one everyone feared."
Damien smiled.
"Yes. And you were never ordinary. You were my queen."
Her world shattered.
Finally, she clenched her dress and said,
"If I am to be Damien's queen, then I will not be weak. And if I remember my past—then I know how to take revenge."