>>Ophelia

The cold, damp air of the dungeon wrapped around me like a heavy, suffocating blanket. The stone walls loomed around me, casting long shadows in the flickering torchlight. I sat on the narrow wooden bench in the corner of my cell, my back pressed against the icy wall, knees drawn to my chest. The chill of the stone seeped through the thin fabric of my dirty dress

The king, my father, had decreed my imprisonment, and I had no choice but to obey and so I sat there quietly.

Across the dungeon, in the adjacent cell, the noble ladies were anything but quiet. Their sharp voices echoed through the stone corridor. They huddled together, their pristine gowns were now wrinkled and soiled from days spent in the dungeon. The proud set of their shoulders and the fire in their eyes showed that their spirits were not yet broken, even if their situation did not look good.

I could see them all clearly and I could see the person standing in front of their cell with his arms folded.

"How dare you lock us in here, Your Highness!" Honey spat, her voice dripping with venom. She was the daughter of a powerful Count, and her piercing eyes blazed with fury. "My father will not stand for this! He will do something to you for imprisoning me!"

Nevan stood just outside their cell, his tall, imposing figure framed by the torchlight. His expression was calm, almost detached, as if their words were no more than a mild inconvenience. He looked down at Honey with a gaze so steady, so unwavering, that it sent a shiver down my spine. This was the crown prince of our kingdom.

"If your father was truly unhappy with your imprisonment, Lady Honey," Nevan replied in a tone that was eerily calm, "He would have been here already. It's been days, and yet here you are, still behind bars." He looked at all of them, "All of you are still here."

The other noble ladies murmured among themselves, their voices a mix of fear and defiance. Ravioli stepped forward, her eyes narrowing at Nevan. "We were only doing what we thought was best for the kingdom!" she cried out, desperation seeping into her voice. "The saint is a danger, a threat to us all! You must see that, Your Highness!!"

I lowered my gaze, unwilling to look at any of them. I knew what they were saying was a lie, a twisted justification for their actions. Like I hated her for coveting Hael, they hate her for looking like Corvina. They were always jealous of Corvina but their reason to try and hurt the saint was even more stupid than mine.

"The only danger here," Nevan said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade, "is your arrogance. But everyone has seen through your lies, and so have I."

Rize clutched the bars of the cell, her face pale with fear. "Please, Your Highness," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "We were only following orders. We didn't mean any harm. Just let us go, and we swear we'll never speak of this again."

Nevan's gaze softened slightly as he looked at her, but his resolve remained unyielding. "Following orders?" He repeated, his tone one of disbelief. "Do you expect me to believe that you had no hand in this, Lady Rize? That you were just a pawn in someone else's game? I find that hard to believe."

I bit my lip, feeling the weight of his words. Rize was not innocent; none of them were.

Ravioli, never one to back down, slammed her fist against the bars, the metal clanging loudly in the confined space. "You are nothing without us, Prince Nevan!" She shouted, her voice filled with venom. "We are the daughters of the most powerful men in the kingdom! Do you think you can rule without our support? You need us!"

Nevan's expression remained unchanged, his eyes like steel as he regarded her. "The kingdom does not need those who seek to tear it apart from within," He replied coldly. "You overestimate your importance, Lady Ravioli. You and your families may hold power, but that power is not absolute. It is the king who rules, and it is his will that you are here."

I could see the rage building in her face that flushed with anger as she struggled to maintain her composure. But Nevan's words had struck a nerve, and she knew it. The other ladies exchanged uneasy glances, the reality of their situation sinking in. They had miscalculated, and now they were paying the price.

Honey stepped forward again, her voice shaking with a mix of fear and anger. "You will regret this, Prince Nevan," she hissed. "When we are released, we will see to it that you and that saint are brought down. You cannot keep us here forever."

Nevan's gaze was piercing as he looked at her, his expression unyielding. "You seem to forget, Lady Honey, that you are not the ones in control here. The king's decision is final, and you will remain here until he sees fit to release you. If you had any sense, you would use this time to reflect on your actions and the consequences they have brought upon you."

A heavy silence fell over the dungeon, the noble ladies glaring at Nevan with a mix of anger and fear but the final statement from Nevan made them all shut up permanently.

"I could order and have your heads right away. Try me anymore and I will not hesitate." His words made all of them cower in fear but none of them dared to speak again,

I sat quietly in my cell, my hands folded in my lap as I listened to the exchange. Then he turned to look at me and I looked away

"Ophelia," He called out to me but I refused to answer back. Nevan's expression softened slightly, but his resolve remained firm. "You made a choice," he replied, his voice gentle but firm. "And now you must live with the consequences of that choice and you're not getting out till you have learned your lesson."

...

***

>>Deus

The miasma was thickening with every passing moment. The only relief came from the soft glow of the light orbs scattered around us, barely illuminating our immediate surroundings. I was high above, scanning the ground below for any sign of the bonewraiths. My mind was focused on the task at hand, but I couldn't shake the image of Hael and the saint disappearing into the rift. It was the goal, after all, but it still left a gnawing sensation in my gut.

Without them, things had taken a turn for the worse. The saint's barriers wasso strong and unwavering, but now it was gone, and it was only a matter of time before the bonewraiths took advantage of that. I could see them in the distance, their hollow eyes glowing ominously as they moved through the darkness with silent precision. They were fast—too fast—and our forces were struggling to keep up.

I tried to focus on forming a barrier. The energy gathered in my hands, the familiar warmth of light magic coursing through me as I cast the spell. The barrier flickered to life, a pale imitation of the saint's radiant protection. It would hold for now, but I knew it wouldn't last long under the assault of the bonewraiths.

One of them lunged at the barrier, its clawed appendages slashing against the light. The barrier shook, cracks spreading like spiderwebs across its surface before shattering completely. The bonewraith pressed forward, undeterred, and I had to quickly summon another barrier to stop its advance. But it was clear that I was fighting a losing battle.

"Hold the line!" I shouted to the knights below, who were fending off the bonewraiths with everything they had. Their light magic was effective, but they were outnumbered, and without the saint's healing powers, the injuries were piling up. A few knights had already fallen, their bodies lying still on the forest floor, and it was only a matter of time before more followed.

I gritted my teeth, pouring more energy into the barriers, trying to buy the knights as much time as possible. But even as I did, I could feel the strain, the toll it was taking on my reserves. I wasn't the saint—I couldn't sustain these barriers indefinitely, and the bonewraiths knew it. They pressed harder, their movements growing more frantic as they sensed our weakness.

Then, in the distance, I saw it. A faint glimmer of light—a bonewraith set ablaze by Hael's flames. It moved through the darkness like a beacon, giving away its position, but it also reminded me of the saint. Her barriers had not only protected us but had also healed the wounded. Without her, the battle was slipping through our fingers.

But I could see that bonewraith had its core destroyed. It was moving slowly. If I'm right, the saint targeted this one.

I should kill that one.

I was about to fire my power at it when I saw it slow down even more. I paused. The bonewarith eventually stopped moving and fell down on its own

I didn't get to think much about it when the battle was in full swing and a swing of claws came at me that I had to dodge.

I cursed under my breath, frustration boiling inside me. I could handle myself—I always could—but this situation was spiraling out of control. Hael and the saint were gone, and I had to keep the rest of us alive until they returned. If they returned.

The thought gnawed at me,

The rift was the goal and there is a high chance Hael didn't come back because he found what needed to be found. Otherwise, he would have gotten the Saint and came back.

More bonewraiths appeared, their numbers growing as they emerged from the darkness. The knights were fighting valiantly, but they were being pushed back, their light magic not enough to hold the line

***

>>Amber

My heart rate doubled, I felt scared.

How does she know about the saint?

We were both shocked but Hael was able to conceal it. It didn't show on his face except for his eyelid, that barely twitched while I clearly went still with a shocked face. My mouth closed tightly and I wasn't sure what to say to her.

I should deny it.

"No," I shook my head at her but she began to hum. Her voice was loud in my head. But she wasn't humming from her mouth, not this time.

???

What is happening? Where is this sound coming from if not her mouth? It's ethereal like her voice.

"No?" She replied to my statement yet her humming didn't stop, "Then why would you want to use your power on me? For what?" The humming turned to singing, it was a vocal song.

But where was it coming from?!

I squinted my eyes as I started to feel like I was getting hypnotized again.

"Hael," I called out his name and he turned to look at me but right then I felt my mind go numb. All of my fear, my pounding heart, my racing thoughts, my anxiety, all of it.

They disappeared

And I found myself feeling like I was floating on clouds, forgetting about everything else.

"You may say no, but I don't want any risks," Her voice reverberated in my head and I couldn't even pull an attempt to try and think, "If you are the 'saint', then you are my mortal enemy."

Hael shook his head, trying to steady himself. He put his hand on his head, and I did see him use some spell, but just as he did and turned to focus on me. He barely grabbed my hand when I felt it.

A piercing sensation.

Agonizing pain that was lulled by the song.

Yet still I felt.

I was pierced by something long. Maybe like a giant nail, I wasn't sure. It pierced my neck, my chest and my belly.

I choked, then coughed, forcing the blood out of my mouth.

Huh?

>>Hael

I didn't see it immediately. Naturally even I thought that when Persephone sang, she must be using her mouth.

But the song continued while she talked and that was astonishing. I looked around, trying to find where the voice was coming from.

And that's when I noticed it.

On her forehead, almost hidden behind her bangs, was another mouth.

!!!

She was vocalizing from there!! There was no sign of if before, it appeared out of nowhere, right when she wanted to sing, to manipulate-

"Hael," I turned to look at her as she called my name, but I saw her eyes go dark, as if she was losing her conscious thinking again.

"You may say no, but I don't want any risks," Her voice reverberated in my head as well. I felt her song try to enter my brain, felt it try and stop me from thinking,

I shook my head, pulling myself together I placed my hand on my head and put a barrier around my head, then looked at Amber.

I saw that holy barrier around her body fade away

!!?

Up until that point I hadn't realized that Persephone could move her hand, they were not bound after all. The seam started from her wrist. I was so focused on her and King Valenor that I didn't see how she was using her hands.

"If you are the 'saint', then you are my mortal enemy." Her hand faced in the direction we were standing in, the three fingers moved faced us as her thumb and pinky folded.

Dread consumed me immediately and I conjured a strong barrier around me as I went to grab Amber to pull her in with me.

But I wasn't fast enough.

Persephone's fingernails grew at lightning speed and before I could pull Amber into my barrier, they pierced her.

A nail went through her neck sideways from the left side, another one through her arm, making its way to her chest from the left, then coming out of her right side, piercing her right arm and then making its way towards me. The same with the final one that slashed through her gut.

All three of her nails pierced her and tried to pierce me as well, but the barrier I put up managed to stop them.

I temporarily paused, my hand on Amber's wrist as I stared at the nail that almost pierced through my defense and penetrated my chest, most likely ripping my heart.

"Interesting," Persephone smiled, "I didn't think someone could stop my attack." I heard choking sounds come from Amber and she opened her mouth, letting out a stream of blood.

NO!!

Persephone began to retract her nails, but just as she retracted them out of Amber, I grabbed one while Amber's body limped and leaned onto mine.

I caught her, putting all her weight on me.

Persephone chuckled softly, her laughter ethereal as she said,

"Your magic will do no damage to me."