The Queen's mirror cracked.
Not physically—no shards lay scattered across her floor—but spiritually, something fractured in her heart when the news arrived. The rumor had spread across the kingdom: a girl with fire in her blood, hidden, alive.
It couldn't be true.
Liliana was supposed to be dead.
She'd ordered it herself—cradled the child in her arms one final time, whispered, "I'm sorry," and handed her to the assassin.
But something had gone wrong.
And now her most guarded secret was about to set the world ablaze.
---
> System Alert: Monarch Instability Detected
Queen's control weakening. Crown Prince suspecting royal deception.
High Risk of Civil Conflict: 43%
---
In her private study, Queen Isolde lit a thin white candle, watching the flame flicker. It smelled of rose and ash. The chamber was sealed with wards, her guards stationed two doors away. She moved to the drawer beneath her writing desk and pulled out an object she hadn't touched in seventeen years:
A ring of black stone with a silver serpent wrapped around it.
She placed it on her finger.
Moments later, a ripple of dark energy hummed through the room. The shadows shifted. And from behind her, a voice emerged—familiar and cold.
"You finally called."
She turned.
A woman stood in the corner, dressed in midnight leathers, hood down. Her eyes were gold—inhuman—and her mouth curved like a knife. She bowed slightly, though there was no submission in her posture.
"Hello, Serelith," the Queen said.
The assassin of the old empire. The one they called the Whispering Blade.
"I need you to kill a ghost," Isolde said.
Serelith smiled. "You should have summoned me sooner."
---
Far from the capital, deep within Blackspire, Seraphina trained Liliana in a hidden courtyard behind the old forge. The child stood with her palms open, eyes shut, concentrating. A candle flickered between them.
"Focus on the flame," Seraphina instructed. "Don't control it. Listen to it."
Liliana's fingers trembled. The flame leaned toward her, then away. Her brow furrowed.
"It doesn't like me."
"It doesn't know you yet. Magic is like a wolf. It respects strength, but it responds to trust."
A sudden burst of wind put the candle out.
Liliana groaned and slumped.
Seraphina knelt beside her. "We'll try again tomorrow."
Kaelrith watched from above, arms crossed. "You're patient with her."
"I'm patient with soldiers. Liliana is still both."
He descended the steps, voice lowered. "We have a problem. A courier from the west was intercepted. One of the Queen's old agents—Serelith—is moving. And she's coming here."
Seraphina stilled. "The Whispering Blade?"
"You know her?"
"I trained with her… before they turned me into the perfect villainess. She knows what I am."
Kaelrith's hand tightened on his hilt. "Then she knows how to kill you."
Seraphina didn't flinch.
"She thinks she does."
---
That night, Seraphina sat alone in the library, a glass of dark wine in hand. Her reflection in the window didn't look like a warlord or a wife—it looked like a girl barely holding her mask together.
Memories returned—painful, half-buried ones.
She had met Serelith when she was just thirteen, during the old blood trials. Serelith had chosen her for her ruthlessness, her cold calculation. For years, she trained Seraphina to be silent, deadly, charming. But when Seraphina started questioning the orders—to kill children, to poison innocent nobles—Serelith turned on her.
She had barely escaped with her life.
Now that ghost was coming for her.
And Liliana.
---
> System Quest Update: "Past Shadows" Activated
Objective: Survive assassination attempt from Serelith
Bonus Objective: Protect Liliana at all costs
Romance Buff: Kaelrith will defend you if trust ≥ 60% (Current: 62%)
---
Serelith arrived three nights later.
No horns. No banners. Just the sound of wind and a dying raven.
The outer scouts never saw her. The inner guards barely had time to breathe before their throats were slit.
Seraphina stood waiting in the high courtyard, cloak billowing in the storm wind. Kaelrith stood at her side, sword drawn, his expression unreadable.
The assassin stepped from the shadows—graceful, elegant, cruel.
"You've grown," Serelith said.
"And you haven't aged a day," Seraphina replied. "Still wearing perfume to hide the stench of blood?"
Serelith smirked. "You always were my favorite."
"And yet you tried to kill me."
"Still might."
The three stood locked in silence. Thunder rolled.
Then Serelith flicked her fingers—and vanished.
Kaelrith moved instantly, blocking a strike meant for Seraphina's throat. The blade caught on his pauldron, but he pivoted and slashed. Serelith danced back.
"You brought a pet?" she laughed. "You never liked dogs."
"I like this one," Seraphina said.
Their blades met again, and again.
Steel rang against steel. Sparks flew.
But Seraphina wasn't just defending.
She was leading her. Guiding Serelith away from the northern tower—where Liliana slept.
Serelith noticed too late.
"Still playing chess," she growled, breathless.
"Always," Seraphina said. "But this time, I'm playing for keeps."
With a sudden feint, she stabbed low—piercing Serelith's side. The assassin staggered. Blood bloomed.
"You're better than before," Serelith admitted.
"No. I'm just fighting for someone else now."
Serelith laughed once—then vanished in a burst of smoke.
---
> System Combat Report
Assassination Attempt: Failed
Enemy Wounded: Yes
Serelith Status: Escaped (Injured, tracking halted for 3 days)
Liliana: Safe
Kaelrith Loyalty: +8% (Current: 70%)
Romance Milestone Reached: "Stood beside her in battle"
---
After the fight, Seraphina collapsed into Kaelrith's arms.
She didn't cry.
She just whispered, "I can't lose her. Not her."
Kaelrith pulled her close. "You won't."
"She'll send more. Stronger."
"Then we'll kill them all."
---
In the Queen's palace, a servant returned to Isolde with a bloodstained feather.
"She failed," the Queen said flatly.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Isolde stared at the fire, voice bitter.
"Seraphina was always good at surviving."
She stood, her silks whispering like snakes across marble.
"Then it's time I stop sending shadows."
She walked to her mirror, hand trembling.
"Let's see how she handles a mother's wrath."