Night spread like a heavy shroud over the castle. I could barely breathe within my room—every corner seemed to tremble with the lingering echo of the voice I had unleashed.
I lay down, but sleep brought no peace. When I closed my eyes, I stood in an impossible place: a desert of shadows, the sky split open with black fractures, and in the center of it all, a colossal figure watched me with eyes like endless pits.
"Your trial is a farce. They don't fear what you've done—they fear what you are."
Its voice wrapped around me like invisible chains.
"Accept me, Nyx. No more weakness, no more tears. I will give you power—to silence them all. To make them kneel, not judge."
I covered my ears, but it was useless. The Khorvash did not speak from without—it spoke through my blood.
Suddenly, hands shook me awake. I opened my eyes, gasping. I was back in my room, and standing before me was Eris—her armor dusted and her face drawn tight with urgency.
—Nyx! —she hissed—. We don't have much time.
My heart pounded as I sat up.
—What are you doing here? How did you get in without anyone seeing you?
Eris gave a faint, weary smile.
—It's not hard when everyone's too busy arguing whether to chain you or not.
Selene was asleep in the nearby chair, exhausted, and Kaelis was outside, standing guard. It was the only moment anyone could reach me alone.
Eris stepped closer and handed me a parchment sealed with broken wax.
—I found out who sent the hooded assassin… and it wasn't a random act.
I took the parchment, my hands trembling. It was filled with payment records and coded contracts—but I recognized the marks instantly: symbols of a mercenary guild known as The Red Crows.
—They're hunters, —Eris explained quietly—, specialists in tracking down hybrids and cursed bloodlines. And someone powerful from the court hired them.
My stomach dropped.
—From the court? Who?
She hesitated, lowering her voice to almost a whisper.
—I don't have a name yet. But enough to know this isn't just gossip among nobles. There's a traitor inside—and they want you dead before the council can decide your fate.
The words hit me like a blade. The Khorvash's voice echoed in my mind again, mocking, cold.
"See? They don't need chains. They've already signed your death sentence in secret."
I stood, unsteady.
—Eris… if you're right, then tomorrow's judgment is already decided.
She gripped my shoulders, meeting my gaze with fierce resolve.
—Then prove them wrong. Don't give them what they expect. Hold on, Nyx. I'll find the traitor before the council votes.
Selene stirred in her sleep, murmuring my name. Outside, Kaelis's boots paced back and forth, her vigilance a distant rhythm.
And I, trapped between tenderness, distrust, and Eris's dangerous loyalty, could only wonder which would come first—truth… or my condemnation.