Three impossible things shouldn't happen in such a short time.
But for Leo, that was exactly the case.
Imprisoned. Failed. And possibly... sentenced to death.
The shock and her lack of reaction kept her frozen. Her stomach churned with rage and nausea. Not that she could do anything — her wrists were shackled on either side of her body, chains pulled tight from the wall. Her arms felt heavy, almost numb. Her mouth was dry and slightly wounded.
Had she hurt herself? When?
When she'd opened her eyes a few minutes ago, she saw the darkened red brick walls of her cell. The stone floor beneath her was rough and damp. Her back and feet tingled from the uncomfortable position.
The faint torchlight from outside the cell was the only warmth she could imagine in that gloomy place.
There were no voices from the neighboring cells.
Only silence.
She was alone.
Reality hadn't hit yet — and when it did, it was accompanied by small drops of blood dripping from her clenched fist. Her nails had dug deep into her palm, confirming that it was real.
The earlier adrenaline had drained from her system. Her body now sluggish, likely still under the effects of whatever had been in that dart.
And even so... she laughed.
A short, bitter sound that echoed off the cold walls.
To think they had to bring her down like a wild boar amidst trained warriors.
At least she'd made a spectacle of it.
Leo let her head fall back against the stone wall, her eyes half-open, breath shallow.
So this was it.
With difficulty, she tried to move her left arm. The tingling was intense, but with some effort, she managed to open her palm.
She needed to prove to herself that her failure wasn't because she couldn't summon her aura.
She couldn't be that much of an abomination... not more than she already was.
She pressed her lips together, focusing. She imagined a force beyond her body — a color, a light, a spark that would ignite alongside her Auradora.
Come on. Please.
Her arm trembled from the strain, but after several long minutes, the attempt only fed her growing frustration.
— Damn it! — she growled through gritted teeth, slamming her shoulder against the wall in fury.
She screamed and cursed, overcome with helplessness.
— I thought I'd lose the bet, but turns out I was right: "Bellius will be screaming and flailing in her cell like a spoiled brat..."
She turned and saw the last person she wanted.
Not that she wanted to see anyone. Not after everything.
Traitors. Every one of them.
Apparently, the chains were also there to keep her from committing another crime to add to her newly growing record.
— Who sent you here? — she spat when she saw Mariano crouched outside. He looked... more put together. Hair trimmed, face clean. He'd be handsome if his terrible personality didn't cancel out every bit of it.
— I'd start with a "good morning," but considering you've been in here for three days, I'm not sure you still know what time it is. — He stood up, pulling a ring of keys from his pocket to unlock the cell.
It took him a while to find the right one, and Leo made sure to show her boredom.
— Would've been better off alone than wasting my breath on you.
— So you'd rather stay with your throat parched? I wonder if your pride is so big it's making you a dumb prisoner. — He held up a tray with water and food in front of her.
She didn't respond. Not because she agreed, but because arguing with him was a waste of time.
— Hope you don't mind eating with a spoon. I skipped the fork — given everything, I wouldn't be surprised if you tried to stab my eye. — Mariano knelt in front of her and released one of her wrists. — Not that I did anything to you... after all, it was one of your best friends who knocked you out. I'm just the delivery guy.
It was clear Mariano wanted to provoke her — push her into lashing out — but Leo was a person, not some wild creature.
After stretching her freed arm, she drank every last drop of water and ate the portion of meat, mashed potatoes, and rice.
She didn't say a word the entire time. Just listened to him babble away.
Mariano must've either loved the sound of his own voice or simply embraced her silence as an excuse to keep talking.
— You didn't awaken your aura, did you?
The final bite of food turned sour in her mouth.
Leo looked up, wondering how he could possibly know that. Anyone else would think the theory absurd.
But then again, failing after awakening your aura was supposed to be impossible too. So maybe... anything was.
— What makes you think that?
— What other reason would it be? — he replied, tilting his head, arms crossed. — Besides, you love showing off during training. If someone humiliated you like that, you'd have unleashed your Auradora — not your collection of daggers.
He had a point.
But how could he "know" her so well?
— Instead of sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, why don't you explain what you're doing here?
— Well, I'm here because I was called, which technically means I belong. Not that you have to answer — or even know how.
— Since when did you become so talkative?
— If it means that much to you, I'll answer. — He shrugged, feigning surrender. — We drew straws to see who would bring your lunch. Tamaya won, but she figured you'd be too upset. Said my handsome face might calm you down. — He winked.
Leo blinked. That explanation made no sense.
And yet... she was handling his company better than any of her so-called friends.
— If that were the case, Thalion would've been the better choice. — The elf was handsome, even if not her type. Still better than this empty-headed idiot in front of her.
— He was the first choice. But he's on patrol today.
— Understandable.
A brief silence fell between them. Both stared at the floor, their feet tapping softly against the stone.
— Well, I guess I should let you rest now. — He stood, brushing dust from his clothes, and picked up the tray.
— Great. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. — Their banter bordered on childish — especially the way she lost her usual composure around him. It was almost like arguing with an older brother.
Gods. What the hell am I thinking?
Leo instinctively smacked her face, trying to banish the thought.
Mariano raised an eyebrow at her, confused, before stepping forward to shackle her wrist again. After locking the cell, he spoke through the bars:
— I look forward to the day you punch the Archduke in the face.
Leo let out a dry snort.
— You're not the only one.
When his footsteps finally faded, the cell returned to the same silence as before.
It was strange — how calm she felt in the face of a death sentence.
And yet, what truly bothered her... was failing.
We all have our priorities, right?
She had already died so many times before — and her final death would not be here.
Because Leo Bellius was far from done.