The northern garden was silent, save for the faint rustle of leaves in the midnight breeze. The moonlight reflected on the marble fountains, turning the water into liquid silver. Ariella's breath was steady, her posture calm, though her mind raced.
The masked figure standing before her was too deliberate, too poised. There was an aura of familiarity an unsettling warmth in the way the figure moved, almost as though they were… expecting her.
Ariella's hand hovered near the dagger hidden in her cloak. Her eyes narrowed behind her silver mask. "Who are you?" she demanded.
The figure tilted their head, the gesture teasing and taunting. "Does it matter?" a soft voice replied.
Ariella froze. That voice…
"No. That's impossible," she whispered, her heart skipping a beat. It can't be… not yet…
The figure took a deliberate step forward, hands raised in mock surrender. "You always notice the smallest details. Clever girl."
Ariella's instincts screamed. This was no ordinary test. Whoever it was, they knew her intimately more than Damien ever had.
Her mind raced, sifting through every memory, every interaction. The warmth, the laughter, the subtle ways they had always been at her side Selena.
Her chest tightened. Selena. Her perfect best friend, her confidante, her ally… her hidden adversary.
Ariella forced her breathing to remain steady. "Selena…" she said, voice low and controlled. "Why? Why now?"
Selena's mask did not falter. The porcelain smile remained, cold and precise. "Why wait, Ariella? You've grown stronger. More cunning. It's time you faced the truth."
Ariella's eyes narrowed. "Truth? Is this your idea of a game? Of testing me?"
Selena stepped closer, and for the first time, the warmth she always projected felt like a blade pressed against Ariella's chest. "A game? Perhaps. But also a revelation. You see, everything you've believed, every alliance, every trust you've placed it's all been… manipulated."
Ariella's heart raced. "Manipulated by you?"
Selena's voice softened, deceptively sweet. "Of course, darling. All for your protection… and for my own designs."
Her own designs… Ariella repeated in her mind. She's been pulling the strings all along.
Before Ariella could react, Selena moved with lightning speed, her dagger gleaming in the moonlight. Ariella barely managed to deflect it with her own blade, the clash ringing out across the garden.
"You're stronger than I imagined," Selena said, circling her. "I thought you would falter easily. But you… you're resilient."
Ariella kept her stance tight, eyes tracking Selena's every move. "Resilient enough to stop you," she countered, her voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through her veins.
Selena's laugh was soft, almost musical, but chilling. "Stop me? Oh, Ariella… that's never been the point."
The two women moved with lethal precision, a deadly dance of skill and strategy. Ariella's mind raced, calculating angles, anticipating movements, exploiting every subtle weakness Selena inadvertently revealed.
Selena's style was refined, almost elegant, masking deadly intent beneath the veneer of grace. Every strike was designed not only to harm but to test Ariella, probe her limits, measure her resolve.
"You've changed," Selena observed between strikes. "The girl I knew… is gone. Stronger, smarter, sharper. But are you ready for the truth? Are you ready for the consequences of discovering what's been hidden all along?"
Ariella's jaw tightened. "I've been ready since the moment I returned."
Ariella barely noticed the shadows shifting behind the fountain until a familiar figure stepped into view Damien. His black mask glinted in the moonlight, eyes unwavering.
"You've underestimated her," he said quietly, almost to himself. "Or perhaps you overestimated yourself."
Ariella's mind clicked. Damien hadn't been testing her at least, not fully. He had orchestrated the setup, letting Selena reveal herself, letting her strike first. Every observation, every calculation, every move had been part of a larger design.
Selena glanced at Damien briefly, her smile unwavering. "I trust you understand, Damien. Some lessons must be learned firsthand."
Damien's lips twitched in what might have been a smile. "Indeed. But only if she survives."
Ariella's pulse quickened, but she remained composed. So this is the real test. Not the council. Not the garden's traps. It's both of them. Damien and Selena measuring me.
Ariella knew she couldn't overpower Selena in a direct confrontation. Instead, she feigned a stumble, drawing Selena in closer. In a fluid motion, Ariella rolled to the side, disappearing behind a hedge, leaving Selena momentarily off balance.
She paused to catch her breath, analyzing the situation. Damien remained at the edge of the garden, observing silently. Selena's attack patterns had subtle gaps flaws Ariella could exploit.
This is not just combat, she realized. It's a mental duel. Every move is information.
From the shadows, Selena's voice floated. "Clever, Ariella. But cleverness alone will not save you. You've grown, yes… but do you understand why you were reborn? Why have I guided you, protected you, shaped you?"
Ariella's heart tightened. "You've done all this… for yourself?"
Selena stepped into the moonlight, mask glinting, dagger lowered. "For survival. For control. And for the day you would finally understand what it means to play the game fully. Are you ready to accept that truth?"
Ariella's eyes narrowed. "I accept no truth dictated by betrayal. Only by my own design."
Selena's smile widened slightly, cold and sharp. "Very well. Then you'll need more than skill, more than intelligence, more than courage. You'll need to see clearly… before the next strike comes."
Ariella stepped forward, determination blazing. "Then strike, Selena. But know this. I am not the same girl you once thought you could manipulate. I am the storm you never saw coming."
Selena's eyes gleamed with a dangerous glint. "Then let the storm rage."
The two lunged simultaneously, blades colliding in a shower of sparks under the moonlight.
Damien's presence was constant, but silent. Observing. Measuring. Waiting.
A sudden noise, a sharp, metallic snap echoed across the garden. Ariella froze.
Selena's eyes widened briefly, a hint of alarm crossing her porcelain mask.
From the shadows, another figure emerged, cloaked entirely in black, wielding a weapon Ariella didn't recognize.
"Who…?" Ariella whispered, but before she could react, the figure lunged toward them both, dagger raised high.
Ariella's heart raced, adrenaline surging. Two adversaries. One ally or maybe another enemy.
And in that moment, she realized the game she thought she controlled was only beginning to reveal its true danger.