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~Titania's POV~
It was one thing for Dristan to go after and Astraea, but for him to do that to Marianne was uncalled for and terrible.
Not that I cared too deeply. But if the White Witches were getting involved… that was a problem.
If they started digging into Marianne's mories or anyone else's, things best left buried would co crawling into the light. Things Astraea and I couldn't afford to have exposed.
I glanced at the clock on my wrist — 9:04 p.m. The soft ticking only worsened my nerves. Astraea was still not back from checking on Marianne.
My heel tapped against the marble floor, sharp and rhythmic, echoing my irritation.
Everything lately had been chaos — classes, the investigations, Valerie. Always Valerie.
The door finally creaked open. Astraea stepped in, strands of her chestnut hair sticking to her temples, her expression grim.
"Cousin," I greeted tightly.
She nodded. "Titania."
"What did you find?"
"Nothing concrete," she said, removing her gloves with a flick of her fingers. "But I overheard Principal Whitmore and one of the White Witches talking. They're starting interviews—" she raised two fingers in air quotes— "with the heirs and Valerie."
"Wait." I blinked. "Interviews? You an interrogation."
Astraea smirked faintly. "You heard , Titania. Sa difference. They want to question everyone close to Marianne."
My stomach twisted. "So Dristan wasn't the one who did it?"
"That, I don't know," she admitted. "But it sounds like they're not ruling anything out."
I bit the inside of my lip, the tallic tang of blood grounding . We had risked so much trying to expose him, counting on rumour and panic to carry the weight of what happened during the trip.
Now, it felt like all of it was unravelling, and I didn't prepare for this.
"Hey," Astraea said, snapping from my thoughts.
"Yes?"
"Don't spiral. We're Fae royals, rember? Even if the White Witches find sothing suspicious, they won't dare offend our court. And besides…" she tilted her head, smirking faintly, "I doubt they'd say anything considering we never hurt Marianne."
I gave a slight nod, but deep down, what disturbed was worse than that. My thoughts were far from calm.
They drifted back to that night in the forest — the night everything began to change.
I had gone for a walk beyond the academy's wards, the air cold and sharp with mist. The forest had been silent, unnervingly so, until I felt it, that pull, a presence.
Then, from between the trees, he erged. A cloaked figure wearing a red mask that caught the faint moonlight. His aura burned — not like magic, but sothing older. Wilder.
I froze, my instincts screaming to run.
Then he spoke in a deep, smooth voice, the kind that coiled around you before you realized it. "Follow ."
The words felt like a command. I didn't know why, but my feet moved. I followed him deeper into the shadows until we reached a small cave lit by faint crimson flas. Two other cloaked figures waited inside.
"Princess Titania of the Fae Court," one of them greeted, his tone like silk sliding over steel. His face was hidden, but his voice carried authority that made my skin prickle.
"Who are you?" I demanded, trying to sound braver than I felt.
A cold laugh tore through the night, followed by his reply as he stepped forward slightly. "You may call Fla."
Fla. The na itself sent a chill down my spine.
"What do you want from ? Why am I here?"
He paused, then smiled — or at least I thought he did beneath the hood. "Because, Princess, you have a purpose greater than you've been told. The prophecy speaks of a union between light and chaos — and you, Titania, are destined to help shape it."
I frowned. "The prophecy? That's old Fae lore—"
He chuckled, low and dangerous. "It's more than lore. And your ti is coming soon. When the first blood moon rises, you'll know what to do."
Before I could ask more, the cave darkened — and then I was standing alone in the forest, the only trace of him a lingering warmth in the air.
"Cousin?" Astraea's voice snapped out of my thoughts.
"Huh? Yeah?" I blinked rapidly, realizing I'd been staring at the wall for who knows how long.
"You zoned out."
"I did?" I forced a weak smile. "Sorry. Just… thinking."
Astraea gave a curious look, but I didn't let her speak. "I'll go take my bath now," I said quickly, rising to my feet.
As I walked toward the bathroom, I caught my reflection in the glass — eyes faintly glowing with gold, a shimr that hadn't been there before that night.
Fla's words echoed in my head.
"You have a purpose greater than you've been told."
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~Author's POV~
The chamber was swallowed in shadow. Only a ring of violet fire illuminated the figures gathered within—an audience of four, their faces half-hidden beneath their hoods.
On the raised dais stood a man draped in a long black cloak, the Nightshade crest embroidered in silver across his chest. A purple mask concealed his features.
The four below bowed deeply.
"Master, what is your command?" a feminine voice asked.
The masked man's head tilted slightly. "Ms. Heart, you will oversee the aftermath of Valerie's third test. When it is done… collect the body and ensure no trace remains."
The air shifted. One of the hooded figures—his voice older, and edged with doubt- spoke next. "Are you certain she's ready for that kind of task, Master?"
"Professor, you are her lecturer," the Master replied evenly. "You tell ."
"That's why I ask," the Professor murmured. "She's powerful, yes, but volatile and impulsive. If she loses control…"
"She won't," the Master interrupted, the tone firm. "Valerie will complete her test. She will kill Dominic Harvey."
A tense silence followed, heavy as smoke.
Finally, Ms. Heart dared to speak again. "Forgive , my Lord, but what makes you so sure she'll succeed?"
"Because none of you truly saw what she did that night," he said softly.
Her voice trembled. "You an…the forest incident? You claid that was an accident."
"I did," the masked man said. "But the truth is—she handled the assassins flawlessly. She didn't hesitate. She killed them." His tone darkened, laced with satisfaction. "Valerie is not just a student. She's a weapon. And she's exactly what Nightshade needs."
Another figure stepped forward, his cloak brushing the stone floor. "Has your Lordship figured out what her powers are?"
The Master's masked gaze turned toward the flas. "I believe she carries the blood of a witch. Possibly… an elental. But if my suspicions are right," his eyes glinted through the mask, "she's far more than that."
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