The air in the meeting room was heavier than usual.
Black stone pillars stretched toward the high ceiling, silent sentinels of the Dragon Kingdom's power. Karaen stood before the obsidian throne, his gaze fixed on the crimson sky beyond the window—a sky that could not calm the unrest stirring inside him.
There was a weight in his chest he could not name.
Elarys.
Her face, her quiet presence… her very being had haunted his thoughts for days.
The door creaked on its heavy hinges. Rafael, the kingdom's most loyal aide, stepped inside and bowed his head.
"Your Majesty," he said.
"Speak," Karaen commanded. His voice was cold and hard—though beneath it, a storm churned.
Rafael approached, expression grave.
"The investigation on Lady Elarys is complete, Your Majesty."
Karaen's fingers clenched into fists without his awareness.
"Continue."
"She comes from the human lands. Of no noble lineage. Yet she is the last of a family known among the people for their healing. She grew up away from palace intrigues. No secret alliances have been discovered."
Rafael paused, then added, "Her loyalty to you is genuine."
Karaen turned slightly, catching his reflection in the window. Eyes that had witnessed centuries of war now stared back at him with something unfamiliar: uncertainty.
"Lilith," he asked, his tone short, sharp.
Rafael's voice hardened.
"Reports from the dungeons have arrived, Your Majesty. Lilith is dead."
Silence swallowed the room.
Karaen said nothing. No shock, no anger. Only an emptiness that seemed to hollow out the space around him.
"How?" he finally asked.
"According to official records, she was not executed. Her death occurred during a skirmish in the dungeons. No orders were disobeyed. She was left without a tomb."
Karaen closed his eyes.
Lilith's fall was a shadow of the past now.
"Is Elarys aware?" he asked.
"No, Your Majesty. The information has been kept secret."
Karaen had made his decision.
The meeting was over. Rafael withdrew respectfully.
Karaen walked from the chamber with heavy steps. The silence left behind offered no comfort. If anything, it pressed down harder on his chest.
Lilith.
The name echoed in his mind, hard and sharp.
That woman…
Once, he had nurtured her in the shadows of the palace, chosen to trust her. He had seen her weakness and clung to it. Though she did not deserve love, he had wanted her. When he could not have it, it turned to poison.
Hatred.
He did not deny it. What he felt for Lilith was neither anger nor disappointment. It was pure, unadulterated hatred. Every glance, every whisper, every thought directed toward Elarys was unforgivable.
It was not justice that killed her.
It was Karaen's lost mercy.
As he strode down the corridor, dragon blood pulsed slowly through his veins. The stone walls seemed to tremble as if sensing the storm within him.
He stopped at the door to Elarys' room.
A warm, steady light glowed inside—disturbingly alive.
Elarys.
Before opening the door, Karaen closed his eyes.
I must not remind her of Lilith.
I must not taint her.
But the past would not release him.
He opened the door.
Elarys stood by the window, lost in thought. She did not flinch when she sensed Karaen enter, as if she had already foreseen this moment.
"Your Majesty," she said calmly.
Karaen closed the door behind him. The room seemed to shift.
"I should not have disturbed you at this hour," he said. But the weight in his voice made clear this was no apology.
Elarys turned to him. Her gaze was steady, but cautious.
"Sometimes being disturbed is better than being alone," she said.
Karaen took a few steps closer. The space between them shrank.
I should not get this close, Elarys thought.
But I do not want to stay away either.
"I hate Lilith," Karaen said suddenly.
The words hit the air like iron. Elarys' eyes widened, but she did not retreat.
"Even saying her name is dangerous," she whispered.
"She was my fault," Karaen said. "And the moment I reached for you… I could not forgive her."
Elarys' chest tightened.
This hatred…
It was not only for a woman. It was for the past itself.
Karaen's hand gripped her wrist suddenly.
The touch was unexpected.
It was not harsh, but there was no escape. Elarys held her breath, feeling the warmth of dragon fire beneath his touch.
"I hate everything that would harm you," his voice lowered. "Especially her."
Elarys looked down. Her heart raced, but not with fear.
"When you protect me," he said, "do you know what you give up of yourself?"
His hand loosened, but did not release her.
"My control," he admitted.
The answer shook her.
If a Dragon King fears losing control…
This bond was dangerously potent.
Elarys withdrew her hand slowly, yet stayed close.
"Lilith has not disappeared from this story," she whispered. "You hate her, but she lingers."
Karaen's eyes darkened.
"She cannot be alive."
"Not in body," Elarys said. "But in her traces."
A silence fell, heavy and shared. In it, both understood the same truth: Lilith's story was not over.
Karaen turned his head, avoiding her gaze.
"There are two women in this palace," he said. "One dragged me into darkness. The other…"
He paused.
Elarys finished the thought.
"The other frightens you."
For the first time, Karaen smiled—a bitter, knowing smile.
Yes.
At that moment, Elarys understood: he remained silent not because he loved, but because he knew the cost of love.
Karaen stepped back, toward the door.
"Rest," he said. "I will see you tomorrow."
When the door closed, Elarys was alone. The firestone light flickered across the walls. She remained still for a moment, then brought her hand to her wrist.
The spot where Karaen had touched was still warm. It was not comforting; rather, it left a creeping unease beneath her skin.
She looked into the mirror.
No fear marked her face, yet the silence inside her was heavy.
Nothing in this palace ever truly ended. Not hatred, not love, not shadows… especially the shadows.
Elarys drew a deep breath.
Outside, the wind whispered. Somewhere distant, metal rang against stone—chains, or a trick of the imagination—she could not tell.
Elarys extinguished the lights.
And that night, for the first time, she realized her unease was not caused by Karaen alone.