"How long are you going to keep up this... thing?" The woman's voice rang out the mont she stepped into the room. Her eyes scanned the place, nose scrunched in irritation and annoyance.
When she had heard that the man had gone out on the sa day his daughter was being executed, she was ecstatic. Thinking the man would finally have a pain deeper than that of losing his wealth. The kind of pain to trigger a man's hatred, but now, she was left wondering if she'd been wrong about it all.
"Say sothing for God's sake!" She snapped irritably, unable to keep still.
Carter didn't look at her. He sat by the window, elbows resting on his knees, fingers loosely clasped together. The city had already moved on as if nothing had happened. As if a life hadn't been snuffed out hours earlier.
The whole thing was still so clear in his mind. Sohow he'd managed to get there right on ti. He'd watched the people he trampled on throw the sa magnitude of hatred back at his daughter. Watched as they threw their stones and spat on her like she was nothing but a filthy pig.
He watched Thorne stand proudly, arrogantly even as the noose tightened around his daughter's neck. The rage Carter felt, he'd never felt such before.
In that mont, he'd wanted nothing more but to strangle the king.
In the very last mont, he locked eyes with Freya and his resolve crumbled, yet he couldn't show it, he couldn't draw attention to himself and thus… he watched his daughter's life snuffed right out of her body.
It's been days since then… he wasn't counting anymore. Not when the only thing on his mind was revenge… to make Thorne pay for what he has done.
Alma hissed loudly, who would've thought the mighty Lord Carter would crumble so easily at the death of just one daughter… a useless one at that.
"Fine, continue to keep silent and watch the king slaughter your second daughter like—" she didn't get to complete her words. In the blink of an eye, Carter leaped at her, eyes dark and hurting. His hand gripped her neck, pressing her against the wall, leaving her no room to breathe.
Alma smirked, this was it. The reaction she'd been searching for.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. All that anger for the wrong person. Tell , what hurt the most? My words or the king's actions—"
"Watch your mouth, witch. I'll wrench out that wretched life of yours out of your miserable body," Carter gritted out through clenched teeth.
Alma laughed maniacally even as his grip tightened, her heels barely touching the ground.
"Do it," she breathed, eyes glittering. "Kill . See if that brings her back."
Carter's fingers trembled around her throat. For a split second, just one—his control wavered. His fingers twitched slightly, and he stopped. He stepped back, eyes squeezed tight, his breathing heavy.
Alma collapsed against the wall, coughing violently, one hand clutching her neck. She sucked in air greedily, chest heaving—but she was still smiling.
"See?" she rasped. "You couldn't even do that." She straightened up, eyes red, but the smile on her face grew wider. "Perhaps, it's ti to accept that the king has won over you. He has made you a shell of the man you once were. How pathetic," she spat out.
She rubbed her neck, glancing at the man once again. She paused for a second, wanting him to do sothing, say sothing to what she'd just said… She didn't want to believe he'd truly turned into this… pudding.
What use was he for her? For the dark Lord?
She waited… even more than a second, and there was nothing still.
Finally, she shook her head, disappointnt clinging to her garnt. She turned to leave… just as she reached the door, he called out to her.
"Alma.."
Alma froze at the door, she turned to see him staring at her.
"Get everything ready for the dark lord's ascension. We will move according to the plan."
~~~~~
"Again!"
Adina stood on shaky limbs, while everything inside her scread for her to stop and tell Thessara how she was truly feeling, Adina was hell-bent on pushing past her limits. She could already feel ti slipping off her fingers; she needed to master the suctioning. She wiped the sweat off her forehead, took a deep breath, and got right into position again.
She curved her hands to form a circle and shut her eyes close, letting her energy gates open only a little. She felt it rush down her spine and into her veins, as if it were racing against ti. She heard the voice deep inside of her. "Co to ." The voice was eerily calm and soft, warm like ho.
In reality, Thessara stood opposite Adina, watching carefully. It was their sixth ti practicing the sa move, and Adina hadn't gotten a grasp of it.
Thessara's brows furrowed slightly when she noticed Adina whimper… she stepped closer to her, "Adina.." she called out, but there was no response.
Adina should be able to break out of the trance easily. She was using her energy, after all.
"Adina," she called again, but there was still nothing.
Thessara began to panic; she jolted the other endlessly, and all to no avail. Adina didn't stir. She remained motionless, sitting with her curved hands.
The panic Thessara felt began to double as Adina's body started to grow hot from within, sweat beads appearing on her skin, yet she went unconscious. Thessara had warned against this. Adina's body was more fragile than ever before, and practicing the suction move… it wasn't the smartest choice.
"Adina." She called again, but still nothing, her clothes were drenched in sweat.
Thessara's heart dropped to her chest when she saw blood.
Blood dripped out of her nose in slow, terrifying drops.
Thessara froze.
"No—no, no." She grabbed Adina's face gently, tilting it upward as more blood slipped from her nostrils. "Adina, break it. Now."
Still nothing.
Adina's lips parted slightly, a faint sound escaping her throat—half gasp, half plea. Her skin burned under Thessara's touch, unnaturally hot, like sothing inside her was drawing too much… taking too much.
"Adina, snap out of it!" Thessara cried out, but it was of no use.
Thessara got on her knees and shut her eyes tight, clasping her hands over Adina's burning ones. She quickly connected to her energy.
In a second, it was all over.
Adina gasped. Her body lurched forward violently as if she'd been ripped out of deep water. She cried out, clutching her stomach, as she collapsed into Thessara's arms.
"I—I can't—" Adina choked, blood staining her lips now. Her hands shook uncontrollably as they pressed against her belly. "It hurts—Thessara, it hurts."
Thessara lowered her carefully to the ground. She placed two fingers against Adina's wrist.
Her pulse was too weak.
"You should never have attempted suctioning," Thessara said, her voice tight. "Not like this. Not in your condition. You don't listen."
Adina laughed weakly. "I don't… have a choice."
"Yes, you do." Thessara's eyes burned. "And you are refusing to take it."
"It's not an option," Adina gritted out through clenched teeth.
"Not an option? It's the only option you have, Adina."
"The core is not sothing you outwork," Thessara snapped. "It is consuming you."
Silence fell between them. Thessara rose slowly to her feet.
"We are done pretending," she said. "I will remove it whether you want it or not. I'll take your anger, your hatred over this," Thessara said with finality.
"No."
Thessara hissed sharply. "You nearly bled out in front of ."
"No," Adina repeated, louder now, forcing herself upright despite the dizziness clawing at her skull. "You can't… not against my wish."
"Adina…"
"That core is what remains to bring… that demon back to life. I'll do anything and everything in my power to keep it in if it ans he stays dead forever."
Thessara stared at her. "At the cost of your life?"
Adina looked away, tears welling up in her eyes. "I can't be the reason millions of people will lose their life. Khaos is a destruction. He will ruin the world, and you know it."
"Adina…"
"I can't let Thorne be ruined twice… not if I have anything to do with it. I'll protect him with my life."
"Thorne will not want this protection from you. He doesn't need you to fight his battles for him," Thessara argued.
Adina scoffed dryly, finally facing Thessara. "You're mistaken. I'm not doing this just for him but also for ."
"What?" Thessara couldn't grasp her head around it.
"I— if I keep this in … Thorne will never find out." She said vaguely.
Thessara scoffed. "For the goddess's sake. Adina, the king doesn't care that—"
"The king will despise ," Adina cut her off sharply. "You don't understand," she whispered. "If Thorne finds out—"
"He loves you," Thessara cut in. "Whatever fear you are carrying, it does not outweigh—"
"He will hate this," Adina interrupted, "He will hate what I am."
Thessara went still.
"I am Khaos' daughter," Adina said, her voice shaking. "And if he learns the truth… he will choose the realm over . He will choose his vengeance."
"That is not true," Thessara said.
"He stood at Roseanne's grave and swore to kill every offspring of Khaos," Adina whispered. "Every one."
The air was different now… like Thessara could really understand where she was coming from.
Thessara looked at her like she was seeing her for the first ti. Not as a queen, not as a sage… but as a terrified young woman trapped by blood she never asked for.
Adina dropped to her knees tight in front of Thessara, head lowered in sha and
"Please," she said, pressing her forehead to the floor. "I am begging you."
Thessara recoiled. "Do not—"
"Lie to him," Adina sobbed. "Tell him the core is gone. Tell him I'm safe. Tell him the baby is safe."
"I will not deceive the king, Adina."
"Please, let it co from … I'll tell him when it's right but please, cover up for . Swear to , Thessara." Adina said, lifting her head. Tears stread freely now. "Swear that you will never tell him who my father is. Swear that you won't reveal the truth about the core. Swear it on your life."
Thessara's breath caught.
"I beg of you, Thessara. Keep my secret safe with you. Tell the king the core has been removed. Tell him— tell him it's safe now. I swear I will tell him the truth when it's ti. I swear it on my life," Adina rushed out too.
The silence stretched between them, and finally, Thessara's resolve crumbled. Slowly, like soone walking toward their own execution, Thessara nodded.
"I swear," she said hoarsely. "On my life."
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