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Sasha walked into the sitting chamber, her grim expression a reflection of the distress brewing inside her. Her eyes sealed on Nikolai’s unconscious form, and she couldn’t shake off the chill that ran down her spine.
Pain lay beside the chair, a silent sentinel. And Sasha’s gaze drifted away, her mind struggling to process the events of the day. It felt like a nightmare – one that she couldn’t wake up from.
r
In just one day, their parents were gone. And her own mother… her own mother was nowhere to be found, but it was clear she had been secretly working with Tiana all along.
A soft sob choked Sasha’s throat, and she sank onto the couch opposite Nikolai, sniffing back tears. “I… I took Ophelia to safety, Nik,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Esmeralda too. I’ve already told the others, and they’re all in support. Heh…”
“Talking to him won’t change what’s going to happen,” Pavel said, walking into the chamber with a deep frown scorched on his face.
Sasha shot him an annoyed glare. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be halfway across the world by now.”
Pavel returned her glare. “You should know that despite my desire to distance myself from this dysfunctional family, it’s still my family. And if you think you can send me off to safety without my consent, think again. I inherited Mother’s magic too.”
Sasha scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m not impressed.”
Pavel let out a wry sigh and sat down beside her. “I visited Vladimir. He’s stuck in some kind of trance.”
Sasha nodded slowly, tears welling up in her eyes. “I don’t even know if
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232 Hopelully
that’s a good thing or not.”
Pavel forced a smile, his gaze fixed on Nikolai’s unconscious form. “The child of doom… we should have killed him when we had the chance.”
Sasha’s eyes flashed with anger, and she rose to her feet. “Feel free to try it if you can,” she snapped, her patience worn thin.
Exhaustion and frustration simmered beneath her surface. She didn’t need Pavel’s antagonistic comments right now. Turning on her heel, she walked out of the chamber, her gaze drifting to her hand as it began to glow with a bright emerald light. Suddenly, the sunstone materialized in her grasp.
“Plan B is not going to be good,” she muttered to herself.
Boris emerged from the left corridor, his voice low and cautious. “You’re going to use that on yourself?”
Sasha turned to face Boris, forcing a smile onto her face. “There’s nothing
else I can think of.”
“It won’t work.” Boris scoffed, his eyes red–rimmed and surrounded by dark circles. The pain of losing his father and the shocking revelation about his “sister” still lingered. He had struggled to accept the truth – that his mother had killed his father and had been masquerading as his sister. The memories of her strange behavior now made sense, but he had always attributed it to her personality.
Sasha’s hand on his shoulder broke the spell, and Boris focused on her. “I have to take you to safety, Boris.”
His eyes widened in shock. “What? No!”
Sasha’s smile brightened, but her eyes betrayed a hint of sadness. “You have
to.”
Just as he was about to vanish, Boris snatched the sunstone from her grip and disappeared, reappearing in the grand throne room of Lumpia Castle.
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232 Hopefully
The throne room was a majestic, high–ceilinged chamber with walls made of dark, polished stone that seemed to absorb the light around it.
“Gods!” Boris snarled with rage, shoving the stone into his pocket. He rose to his feet, ready to address the king, but his words trailed off as he took in the unexpected sight before him.
Esmeralda, dressed in black regal attire with the crown perched atop her head, stood on the dais, a grim smile spreading across her face.
“Welcome,” she whispered, her eyes gleaming with a newfound authority.
Boris’s eyes widened in shock. “How… You’re queen!”
Esmeralda’s smile broadened. “It turns out that a dark fairy who can also harness light is the rarest and most powerful fairy in Lumpia. By default, that makes me the rightful ruler among my siblings. They pledged their allegiance to me the moment they sensed my true nature.”
Boris scoffed in disbelief. “That’s actually… impressive. Congratulations.”
Esmeralda smiled, settling back into her throne with an air of confidence. “Thank you.”
Boris’s curiosity got the better of him. “And how’s Ophelia?”
Esmeralda’s expression turned guarded. “Safe.”
Her narrowed eyes seemed to dare Boris to pry further, but he simply smirked, uninterested in pushing the issue.
Just then, a dark fairy guard flew into the throne room, bowing his head in obedience. “My queen, we have a visitor. A banished red dragon from Fireria.”
Esmeralda’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?!”
The guard bowed again. “Shall I escort him to the throne room, my queen?”
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232 Hopefully.
Esmeralda’s gaze flicked to Boris. “Escort the lycan to his quarters.”
The guard bowed once more and led Boris away. As soon as they disappeared from view, a commotion erupted outside the throne room. The doors burst open, and Dominik was dragged in, chained and surrounded by dark fairy guards. The guards prodded him with their spears, forcing him to his knees.
Esmeralda’s face darkened with fury. “You followed us?!”
Dominik’s eyes locked onto Esmeralda’s, his voice heavy with desperation. “The blood moon is rising in a few minutes. I want to stay with,”
“Take him to the dungeons!” Esmeralda snapped, her patience exhausted.
Dominik’s face contorted in panic as he waved his hands at her. “No! You don’t understand. Rodion is still alive, and he’ll find her. I just want to keep Ophelia safe!”
Esmeralda’s expression remained stern, “Are you useful in helping to stop the destruction of Celestia?”
Dominik scoffed. “I detest the gods as much as I detest the wolves, Your Majesty.”
Esmeralda’s eyes flashed with anger. “Then you are useless.” Swiftly, she unleashed a blast of silver light onto the red dragon, and Dominik vanished from sight.
Esmeralda took a deep, heavy breath, her shoulders sagging under the weight of her responsibilities. “Damned gods,” she muttered, rubbing her forehead tensely. “I feel so useless myself.”
Deep within Nikolai’s subconscious, a serene landscape unfolded on a grassy mountain, its peaks reflected in the starry night sky. The air was heavy, yet Nikolai felt an inexplicable sense of peace as he lay on the grassy
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