Liora's heart pounded in her chest. The cold grass stung her bare feet as she stared at the fire. Smoke danced in the night air, and her sister's voice sliced through it like a knife.
"Liora... You shouldn't be here," Seraphina said, voice sharp like broken glass.
"I—I heard something," Liora said, her voice shaking. "Why are you out here? What's going on?"
Vace stepped forward, his face calm, too calm. "Just cleaning up. Nothing to worry about."
Liora took a step back.
Something's wrong. So wrong.
Then came a sound—like metal clashing.
Derick appeared from the shadows, sword drawn, breathing heavy. His eyes were locked on Vace, glowing with anger.
"I told you to stay away from her," he said, his voice low and cold.
Vace sneered. "Always playing hero, aren't you? Still pretending you can protect her?"
Seraphina laughed. "Oh, this is rich. The little marquis's son, acting bold. You should've stayed in your place."
Derick didn't flinch. "Your games end tonight."
Liora looked between them, her heart full of fear and confusion. "Derick... what's going on?"
He didn't answer. He stepped in front of her, guarding her with his body.
Seraphina's face twisted with rage. "You dare raise your sword at me?"
"You killed her once," Derick snapped. "I won't let you hurt her again."
Liora's breath caught in her throat.
What did he mean? 'Again'?
The wind howled through the trees.
Vace charged.
Derick met him head-on, their swords clashing in a storm of sparks. Each strike came with fury. Vace's eyes burned with madness. Derick's burned with something deeper—pain, rage, and a need for justice.
Seraphina lunged toward Liora with a hidden dagger.
"No!" Derick shouted, spinning to block her just in time. The blade cut across his shoulder.
Blood hit the ground.
Liora screamed. "Derick!"
He winced but stood firm.
"You'll have to kill me to get to her," he growled.
The air was thick with fear.
And for the first time, Seraphina hesitated. Just for a second.
Derick took Liora's hand. "We have to run."
"No—Derick, your shoulder—!"
"I said run!"
They sprinted into the trees, the cold wind pushing against them. Liora's hand trembled in his. Her mind raced.
Why is this happening? Why does he act like he knows something I don't?
They stopped deep in the forest, breathless.
Derick leaned against a tree, pain in his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered. "I didn't want you to see any of that."
Liora looked at him, her heart aching. "Who are you really, Derick?"
He looked away.
I can't tell her. Not yet.
"I'm someone who's failed once," he whispered. "And I won't fail again."
Their eyes met.
A silence filled with pain... and something warmer underneath.
He moved closer—just a little. Close enough to feel her breath.
Liora's eyes widened. "Derick..."
But he stepped back.
"No. Not yet," he said, more to himself than to her. "I can't lose focus. Not now."
She didn't understand—but her heart did.
It hurt.
Liora's heart pounded in her chest. The cold grass stung her bare feet as she stared at the fire. Smoke danced in the night air, and her sister's voice sliced through it like a knife.
"Liora... You shouldn't be here," Seraphina said, voice sharp like broken glass.
"I—I heard something," Liora said, her voice shaking. "Why are you out here? What's going on?"
Vace stepped forward, his face calm, too calm. "Just cleaning up. Nothing to worry about."
Liora took a step back.
Something's wrong. So wrong.
Then came a sound—like metal clashing.
Derick appeared from the shadows, sword drawn, breathing heavy. His eyes were locked on Vace, glowing with anger.
"I told you to stay away from her," he said, his voice low and cold.
Vace sneered. "Always playing hero, aren't you? Still pretending you can protect her?"
Seraphina laughed. "Oh, this is rich. The little marquis's son, acting bold. You should've stayed in your place."
Derick didn't flinch. "Your games end tonight."
Liora looked between them, her heart full of fear and confusion. "Derick... what's going on?"
He didn't answer. He stepped in front of her, guarding her with his body.
Seraphina's face twisted with rage. "You dare raise your sword at me?"
"You killed her once," Derick snapped. "I won't let you hurt her again."
Liora's breath caught in her throat.
What did he mean? 'Again'?
The wind howled through the trees.
Vace charged.
Derick met him head-on, their swords clashing in a storm of sparks. Each strike came with fury. Vace's eyes burned with madness. Derick's burned with something deeper—pain, rage, and a need for justice.
Seraphina lunged toward Liora with a hidden dagger.
"No!" Derick shouted, spinning to block her just in time. The blade cut across his shoulder.
Blood hit the ground.
Liora screamed. "Derick!"
He winced but stood firm.
"You'll have to kill me to get to her," he growled.
The air was thick with fear.
And for the first time, Seraphina hesitated. Just for a second.
Derick took Liora's hand. "We have to run."
"No—Derick, your shoulder—!"
"I said run!"
They sprinted into the trees, the cold wind pushing against them. Liora's hand trembled in his. Her mind raced.
Why is this happening? Why does he act like he knows something I don't?
They stopped deep in the forest, breathless.
Derick leaned against a tree, pain in his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered. "I didn't want you to see any of that."
Liora looked at him, her heart aching. "Who are you really, Derick?"
He looked away.
I can't tell her. Not yet.
"I'm someone who's failed once," he whispered. "And I won't fail again."
Their eyes met.
A silence filled with pain... and something warmer underneath.
He moved closer—just a little. Close enough to feel her breath.
Liora's eyes widened. "Derick..."
But he stepped back.
"No. Not yet," he said, more to himself than to her. "I can't lose focus. Not now."
She didn't understand—but her heart did.
It hurt.
Liora's heart pounded in her chest. The cold grass stung her bare feet as she stared at the fire. Smoke danced in the night air, and her sister's voice sliced through it like a knife.
"Liora... You shouldn't be here," Seraphina said, voice sharp like broken glass.
"I—I heard something," Liora said, her voice shaking. "Why are you out here? What's going on?"
Vace stepped forward, his face calm, too calm. "Just cleaning up. Nothing to worry about."
Liora took a step back.
Something's wrong. So wrong.
Then came a sound—like metal clashing.
Derick appeared from the shadows, sword drawn, breathing heavy. His eyes were locked on Vace, glowing with anger.
"I told you to stay away from her," he said, his voice low and cold.
Vace sneered. "Always playing hero, aren't you? Still pretending you can protect her?"
Seraphina laughed. "Oh, this is rich. The little marquis's son, acting bold. You should've stayed in your place."
Derick didn't flinch. "Your games end tonight."
Liora looked between them, her heart full of fear and confusion. "Derick... what's going on?"
He didn't answer. He stepped in front of her, guarding her with his body.
Seraphina's face twisted with rage. "You dare raise your sword at me?"
"You killed her once," Derick snapped. "I won't let you hurt her again."
Liora's breath caught in her throat.
What did he mean? 'Again'?
The wind howled through the trees.
Vace charged.
Derick met him head-on, their swords clashing in a storm of sparks. Each strike came with fury. Vace's eyes burned with madness. Derick's burned with something deeper—pain, rage, and a need for justice.
Seraphina lunged toward Liora with a hidden dagger.
"No!" Derick shouted, spinning to block her just in time. The blade cut across his shoulder.
Blood hit the ground.
Liora screamed. "Derick!"
He winced but stood firm.
"You'll have to kill me to get to her," he growled.
The air was thick with fear.
And for the first time, Seraphina hesitated. Just for a second.
Derick took Liora's hand. "We have to run."
"No—Derick, your shoulder—!"
"I said run!"
They sprinted into the trees, the cold wind pushing against them. Liora's hand trembled in his. Her mind raced.
Why is this happening? Why does he act like he knows something I don't?
They stopped deep in the forest, breathless.
Derick leaned against a tree, pain in his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered. "I didn't want you to see any of that."
Liora looked at him, her heart aching. "Who are you really, Derick?"
He looked away.
I can't tell her. Not yet.
"I'm someone who's failed once," he whispered. "And I won't fail again."
Their eyes met.
A silence filled with pain... and something warmer underneath.
He moved closer—just a little. Close enough to feel her breath.
Liora's eyes widened. "Derick..."
But he stepped back.
"No. Not yet," he said, more to himself than to her. "I can't lose focus. Not now."
She didn't understand—but her heart did.
It hurt.
Liora's heart pounded in her chest. The cold grass stung her bare feet as she stared at the fire. Smoke danced in the night air, and her sister's voice sliced through it like a knife.
"Liora... You shouldn't be here," Seraphina said, voice sharp like broken glass.
"I—I heard something," Liora said, her voice shaking. "Why are you out here? What's going on?"
Vace stepped forward, his face calm, too calm. "Just cleaning up. Nothing to worry about."
Liora took a step back.
Something's wrong. So wrong.
Then came a sound—like metal clashing.
Derick appeared from the shadows, sword drawn, breathing heavy. His eyes were locked on Vace, glowing with anger.
"I told you to stay away from her," he said, his voice low and cold.
Vace sneered. "Always playing hero, aren't you? Still pretending you can protect her?"
Seraphina laughed. "Oh, this is rich. The little marquis's son, acting bold. You should've stayed in your place."
Derick didn't flinch. "Your games end tonight."
Liora looked between them, her heart full of fear and confusion. "Derick... what's going on?"
He didn't answer. He stepped in front of her, guarding her with his body.
Seraphina's face twisted with rage. "You dare raise your sword at me?"
"You killed her once," Derick snapped. "I won't let you hurt her again."
Liora's breath caught in her throat.
What did he mean? 'Again'?
The wind howled through the trees.
Vace charged.
Derick met him head-on, their swords clashing in a storm of sparks. Each strike came with fury. Vace's eyes burned with madness. Derick's burned with something deeper—pain, rage, and a need for justice.
Seraphina lunged toward Liora with a hidden dagger.
"No!" Derick shouted, spinning to block her just in time. The blade cut across his shoulder.
Blood hit the ground.
Liora screamed. "Derick!"
He winced but stood firm.
"You'll have to kill me to get to her," he growled.
The air was thick with fear.
And for the first time, Seraphina hesitated. Just for a second.
Derick took Liora's hand. "We have to run."
"No—Derick, your shoulder—!"
"I said run!"
They sprinted into the trees, the cold wind pushing against them. Liora's hand trembled in his. Her mind raced.
Why is this happening? Why does he act like he knows something I don't?
They stopped deep in the forest, breathless.
Derick leaned against a tree, pain in his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered. "I didn't want you to see any of that."
Liora looked at him, her heart aching. "Who are you really, Derick?"
He looked away.
I can't tell her. Not yet.
"I'm someone who's failed once," he whispered. "And I won't fail again."
Their eyes met.
A silence filled with pain... and something warmer underneath.
He moved closer—just a little. Close enough to feel her breath.
Liora's eyes widened. "Derick..."
But he stepped back.
"No. Not yet," he said, more to himself than to her. "I can't lose focus. Not now."
She didn't understand—but her heart did.
It hurt.