The scream from the mirror fragment wasn't just sound—it was a tearing sensation that sank claws into the mind. I clapped my hands over my ears, but the noise was already inside my skull.
Gasps and shouts filled the throne room. Nobles scrambled back, skirts and cloaks tangling in panic. The king barked for the guards, but they hesitated—nobody wanted to get close to the pulsing red light now bursting from the silver box.
[SYSTEM ALERT]:
Crisis Event – "Mirror Ren Breach."
Objective: Survive.
Time Limit: 05:00 minutes.
Oh, that's comforting. A hard time limit.
The fragment split completely, and a cloud of black-red mist poured out like living smoke. It coiled through the air, moving with purpose—straight toward me.
"Seraphine!" Caelan's voice cut through the chaos. He leapt down from the dais, sword drawn, intercepting the mist with a slash of glowing steel. The smoke recoiled but didn't vanish—it simply slithered around him.
Lysander was already moving. One sharp gesture and a wall of dark magic surged up between me and the fragment. "Stay behind me," he ordered, voice like ice cracking.
"Oh, so now you're protective?" I shot back, ducking behind his shield spell.
"This isn't about you. It's about containing that thing before it kills us all," he said without looking at me.
Selene, the court enchanter, stepped forward despite the chaos. Her molten silver eyes glowed brighter as she began chanting in an ancient tongue. The mist shuddered, then broke into smaller tendrils—half of them darting toward the nobles, half toward me.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]:
Optional Action – Absorb Fragment Power (Success Chance: 12%).
Warning: Potential Host Overwrite.
Twelve percent? Absolutely not. I liked my personality just the way it was, thank you.
"Keep it away from her!" Caelan shouted, cutting down another tendril of mist that lunged for me.
"Don't give me orders, prince," Lysander growled, extending his barrier outward. The two of them were coordinating without realizing it—every time Caelan struck, Lysander reinforced the gaps.
Selene's chanting rose to a fever pitch. The mist began to distort, its edges fraying like torn fabric. For a heartbeat, I thought she might actually succeed in sealing it—
—but then the fragment pulsed again, harder, and a jagged shard shot out, embedding itself in the marble floor just inches from my feet.
The System chimed in at once:
[NEW OBJECTIVE]:
Secure the Core Shard – Reward: 1 Fate Token.
Well, when the System dangles a Fate Token, you grab it. I dove forward, ignoring Caelan's shouted warning, and snatched the shard up with both hands.
It was warm. Too warm. The magic inside it buzzed against my skin like a wasp trapped under glass.
The moment my fingers closed around it, the mist froze mid-surge. Every tendril turned toward me.
"…Oh, fantastic," I muttered. "I've become the main course."
Caelan stepped in front of me, sword blazing. "Hold it tight. If that's the core, it might be the only way to end this."
"Or the fastest way to get myself possessed," I snapped.
"Then I'll just have to be faster," he said, eyes locked on the swirling magic.
Lysander's voice came low and sharp beside my ear. "If you feel it trying to enter your mind, drop it. No hesitation."
Between the two of them flanking me like I was the crown jewels, we pushed forward through the chaos toward Selene.
She took one look at the shard in my hand and her eyes widened. "You have to bring it into the circle—NOW!"
The three of us barreled toward her runic barrier. The mist shrieked, throwing itself at us from every direction. Caelan cut, Lysander shielded, and I… well, I just held on for dear life.
We made it into the circle with seconds to spare. Selene's magic flared, the runes igniting in a blinding silver light. The mist howled, drawn inexorably into the shard, until with a final echoing crack—
Silence.
The throne room was a ruin. Nobles clung to the walls, wide-eyed. The king's expression was thunderous, but for once, it wasn't directed at me.
Selene stepped forward and carefully took the shard from my hands. "You may have just saved more than your own life, Lady Noir," she said.
[SYSTEM REWARD]:
+1 Fate Token earned.
Reputation (Court) +10.
Oh. Huh. That almost felt like a win.
Almost.
Because as I glanced up at the king, I saw the suspicion still simmering in his gaze. The trial wasn't over—not by a long shot.
---
END OF CHAPTER