Sorayah opened her eyes slowly, her head throbbing with pain. A dull, persistent ache radiated from her temples, but despite it, she forced her eyelids apart. As her vision adjusted to the dim light filtering through the treetops above, the mory slamd into her.....how a maid had blown a puff of white powder into her face. The image was vivid now: the shocked gasp that had barely left her lips before everything turned black.
She bolted upright with a gasp, heart pounding, only to realize that her wrists were tightly bound with thick rope. Her mouth had been gagged with a coarse cloth, its edges biting into her skin. She looked around wildly, taking in her surroundings. A dense forest surrounded her, the trees tall and shadowy, their leaves rustling like whispers in the wind. There was no sign of a road, path, or even civilization. She was in the middle of nowhere.
What the hell is happening? Sorayah’s mind reeled with panic. Fear prickled at the base of her neck and her heart thudded harder as a shadow moved ahead of her.
From behind the trees erged the sa maid who had rendered her unconscious except now, Sorayah was certain she wasn’t just a maid. Flanked by four burly n, all with grim, unreadable expressions, the woman’s presence radiated danger and control.
With a silent nod from her, one of the n stepped forward, knelt before Sorayah, and tugged the gag down from her mouth. The rough cloth fell to her chest, leaving her lips raw but free.
"Who are you?" Sorayah asked imdiately, her voice hoarse but sharp with suspicion. Her eyes narrowed, scanning the woman’s face. "You’re a maid, aren’t you? But how could a simple maid kidnap soone from the imperial palace? You must be acting under soone else’s command... Soone powerful."
The woman rely chuckled darkly, her laughter low and cruel. "You’re still worried about who I am," she said, stepping closer until she lood over Sorayah, "when you should be worried about your life."
She knelt again, coming down to Sorayah’s eye level. Her fingers reached up and unclipped the golden hairpin from Sorayah’s hair...the very one Lupien had given her the night before. Sorayah’s long golden waves tumbled free over her shoulders.
"You don’t deserve sothing so precious," the maid hissed, and without warning, she stabbed the hairpin deep into Sorayah’s hand.
"Aaahh!" Sorayah scread, her voice echoing through the forest. The pain was imdiate and blinding. She watched in horror as blood began to seep from the wound, staining her skin. The maid twisted the pin before finally yanking it out with a satisfied smirk.
Did the Luna Empress send her? Sorayah’s mind raced with fury and dread. Is she her personal maid?
She had t the Luna Empress just the night before, and the hatred in the woman’s eyes had been unmistakable...especially when she saw Lupien grab Sorayah’s hand. Dimitri had warned her about the Empress and her n watching her, preparing to act. And now, they had succeeded.
But Sorayah gritted her teeth. First, I need to save myself. If I can get that porcelain jug in her hand shattered... I can use one of the sharp pieces to cut through this rope.
She shifted her position slightly, eyes locked on the small jug of poison the maid had brought along....no doubt to finish her off. If she could goad her into throwing it...
Lifting her chin, Sorayah forced a smirk onto her lips. "The Luna Empress sent you on such a ridiculous errand? Do you really think you’ll be safe once the Emperor finds out? You’ll be the first to die....along with your entire bloodline. Just another loose end to tie up."
The maid’s expression twisted with fury. "What nonsense are you spewing now?"
Sorayah tilted her head, letting her tone sharpen with mock concern. "I’m just saying... when the Alpha Emperor realizes I’m missing, who do you think he’ll suspect? He might not be able to punish the Luna Empress directly since she only gave the order but you? You’re just the weapon that carried it out. You’re disposable. A lowly maid. Not even the Empress will protect you when the Emperor cos knocking."
The maid scoffed, but her jaw clenched.
"You’re just her dog," Sorayah continued rcilessly, "useful only as long as you serve her purpose. And when the ti cos, you’ll be the first one offered up to avoid political consequences. You’ll die alone, forgotten, your family buried in disgrace."
"Shut up!" the maid scread, her fury snapping like a whip.
In a sudden burst of rage, she hurled the porcelain jug to the ground. It shattered instantly, shards scattering across the mossy ground.
Perfect, Sorayah thought, her fingers stretching behind her to grope for a sharp edge of one of the broken pieces.
The maid stord forward and seized Sorayah by the collar of her gown, yanking her forward until they were nose to nose, their gazes locked in a clash of fury and defiance.
"You know nothing about the Luna Empress!" the maid snarled, eyes wild. "She’s nothing like what you describe. I’ve served her since childhood...she’s not just my mistress, she’s my family! She’ll never abandon . She’ll find a way to save if anything goes wrong. She always does!"
"Oh yeah? Then why are you so tense?" Sorayah asked with a smirk plastered across her face, eyes glinting with sharp amusent. "If you trust your precious Luna Empress so much, why does your hand tremble? Could it be... that you’re not so sure after all? Maybe you’re finally realizing that you’re not special to her. That you’re just another pawn in her ga?"
The maid’s jaw clenched, her eyes narrowing with fury.
"All powerful people play gas," Sorayah continued, her tone almost taunting. "And their servants? They’re just pieces on the board....expendable, disposable. The perfect scapegoats for when things go wrong."
"I said I believe in the Luna! So shut your filthy mouth!" the maid scread, her voice trembling with more than just rage. With a furious snarl, she shoved Sorayah back and stood upright. Her hands reached for the sword one of the guards had been holding.
"If you won’t drink poison like a docile little dog, then you’ll die by the blade instead," the maid hissed, now brandishing the weapon with a wicked glint in her eyes. "And when your corpse is dumped into the wild, make sure you watch....watch how the Luna Empress still protects even if this whole secret cos out!"
"Oh really?" Sorayah’s voice cut through the air, clear and defiant. "Well, I’m afraid you won’t live long enough to see what I’ll do to that wretched empress of yours when I survive this little ga. Because I will. And she’ll regret ever thinking I was easy to break."
Her words sent ripples of uncertainty down the spines of the maid and her guards. A flicker of hesitation flashed in their eyes.
"Enough of this nonsense!" the maid shouted and lunged forward, raising the sword high above her head. But just before the blade could strike Sorayah....
A sharp crack echoed.
Shards of the shattered porcelain jug....once ant to deliver poison whizzed through the air. One jagged piece shot straight into the maid’s throat. Her eyes widened in shock. She gasped, dropped the sword, and collapsed to the ground, blood pooling beneath her as life drained from her body.
Sorayah didn’t waste a second.
With swift hands, she grabbed the fallen sword, her movents driven by survival and rage.
"Now let’s finish this," she growled, voice like steel.
The four burly guards lunged at her, weapons drawn and fury in their eyes. But Sorayah t them head-on.
Steel clashed. Sparks flew. She dodged one blade, parried another. Her body moved on instinct, trained muscles rembering battles long past. One guard swung at her with brute force but she ducked and sliced upward, slitting his throat in a single, clean motion.
Another ca from behind. She turned, disarming him and driving the sword through his chest.
Blood spattered across her face as the remaining two attacked in unison. But their strength was no match for her speed and precision. Within minutes, all four guards lay dead.
Sorayah stood upright with chest heaving.
She hadn’t even caught her breath when she felt a disturbance in the air.
Whiz....thunk!
An arrow whistled toward her. She turned just in ti to avoid a fatal shot, but it grazed her upper arm, slicing through her skin. She winced, then looked down.
Blood trickled from the wound. Nothing serious.
Until she saw the color.
A sickening blue-black began to bloom around the cut.
Her breath caught in her throat. Her vision swam.
Poison.
The realization slamd into her like a boulder. Her heart pounded, not from fear but from fury.
A male voice rang out from the shadows of the forest, cold and mocking. "We heard rumors you picked up a few tricks in the human kingdom. That’s why you could follow the Beta Lord to war. Let’s see those tricks now, you lowborn wretch!"
Sorayah’s eyes darted toward the trees.
Figures erged...dozens of them....dressed in all black, swords glinting under the faint light. They advanced silently, rcilessly, surrounding her like wolves.
"I refuse to die here," Sorayah muttered under her breath, bracing herself. She tightened her grip on the blood-slicked sword, even as dizziness pulled at the edges of her vision.
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