Tenebrarum left the room immediately, his steps echoing sharply against the stone floors. The messenger trailed closely behind, bowing low with each hurried pace.
Even though Tenebrarum had vanished from the room, Aurelia remained slumped on the bed, her heart heavy. Thoughts of Felicia gnawed at her—so pure, so kind. Perhaps not all dark humans were cruel.
A question lingered, sharp and bitter: why hadn't Felicia used her powers? Why hadn't she shifted into her beast form, defended herself?
Unbeknownst to Aurelia, Felicia had been a healer—once powerful, now stripped of her gifts. She was, and was fragile as any human.
The heavy wooden door creaked open. Aurelia's eyes, still raw from tears and exhaustion, lifted just in time to see a staggering figure fill the doorway.
It was Calvus—still drunk, swaying like a reed in the wind, dark circles shadowing his eyes. His boots scraped across the stone floor, echoing in the silent room, and a faint smell of liquor clung to him like a second skin.
Even in his staggering state, his presence pressed against her like a shadow she couldn't escape. Aurelia's chest tightened—fear, anger, something deeper, twisting together in a cold knot.
He had been gone four days, and now returning, the news of what Tenebrarum had done to her hit him like a physical blow.
"Aurelia!" His voice cracked, slipping out before he could steady himself. He lurched forward, arms flailing slightly, forcing her to retreat toward the far edge of the room.
"How… how do you know my name?" she demanded, panic sharpening her movements.
"Aurelia," he slurred, still swaying, unsteady, yet his steps carried a strange determination despite the alcohol coursing through him.
Aurelia's hands trembled as she backed up, keeping distance. His smell—sharp and sour from drink—made her stomach twist, and the unsteady figure of the man brought every nerve in her body to panic.
He took one more step—and then collapsed entirely, unable to hold himself upright, the floor catching him before he could reach her.
Aurelia slipped past Calvus's collapsed body, her legs moving faster than her breath could keep up. She nearly stumbled, but fear pushed her forward. She wrenched the door open—
—and froze.
Standing right outside was her.
The maid who had betrayed Felicia.
The one who had whispered wickedness into Tenebrarum's ear.
The one who had watched Felicia dragged away.
The one who had smiled when Aurelia was thrown into the vaults.
Aurelia's whole body went rigid.
Her fingers curled into fists automatically.
Her breath hitched with a sharp, trembling sound.
If she had been holding anything—even a broom, even a stone—she wasn't sure she could've stopped herself from hitting this fool.
The fury that shot through her was raw and blinding, hotter than anything she had felt since the war.
The maid's eyes widened when she saw Aurelia standing there—alive, healed, upright.
"M–my lady—" she stammered, bowing quickly.
"My lady, you have no right to speak to me like that," Aurelia said, her voice sharp, low, a warning hidden beneath calm. She started to turn away, her steps quick, but then paused, pivoting on her heel. Her eyes, hard and unforgiving, fixed on the girl.
"Someone like you… shouldn't even be allowed to see me," she hissed, the words heavy, deliberate, carrying all the anger and grief she'd bottled up.
"I'm sorry, my lady… but I saw Lord Calvus entering your room," the girl stammered, voice trembling. "I have to—"
Aurelia cut her off with a sharp glare, her chest heaving as anger flared like a live coal.
"This is not my room. It will never be my home. And yes… you should get that drunkard out of that place. Immediately."
Her eyes burned, unyielding, fixing the girl like a weapon. Every muscle in her body was tense—fists clenched at her sides, nails biting into her palms. Her breath came fast, ragged, a rhythm matched only by the storm raging in her chest.
"I know yo—" the girl began, but Aurelia's sudden, harsh step forward made her flinch.
"Don't talk to me. How hard is that?" she hissed, her voice low, cold, and lethal. She pivoted sharply, her boots scuffing the floor as she stormed past, shoulders taut, hands shaking not with fear but fury, her gaze fixed straight ahead.
Aurelia froze for a moment, confusion twisting her features. How did he… know her name? Her mind spun, trying to connect the dots, but the fog of exhaustion, fear, and pain made it impossible.
Every movement was a warning: she was not to be questioned, not to be stopped. Her heart pounded, but she let the anger fuel her, each step carrying the weight of every injustice she had endured.
Aurelia marched down the hallway, her steps quick and angry, needing space—needing air—needing to be away from that room, from Calvus on the floor, from the headache of all these people who somehow knew her name.
But the soft footsteps behind her didn't stop.
Aurelia's jaw clenched.
She sped up.
The footsteps sped up too.
Finally she spun around.
"Stop following me!" Aurelia snapped, voice echoing sharply through the corridor.
The girl froze mid-step, eyes wide, hands held tightly in front of her skirt.
"My lady… I can't," she whispered, terrified.
Aurelia stared at her, disbelief and anger twisting together.
"You can't? What does that even mean?"
The girl swallowed hard, but didn't move, didn't blink, didn't run.
"I'm… I'm assigned to you," she said softly. "I have orders."
Aurelia's breath hitched, confusion deepening.
"Orders? From who?"
The girl lowered her head.
"…from Lord Tenebrarum."
Aurelia's breath stopped for a second.
Then the girl added, almost trembling,
"I belong to you, lady Flavia."
Aurelia stared at her as if the words were poison.
"Belong… to me?" she repeated, voice low, dangerous. "What sort of twisted nonsense is that?"
The girl didn't lift her gaze.
"It's an order. I am to stay with you. Serve you. Follow you. At all times."
Aurelia slowed her steps.
"Tenebrarum is not around. I don't need you."
--------------------------------
To be continued...