CHAPTER 198: HER REAL SELF

The heavy doors of the manor flew open with a deafening thud. Wind rushed in, carrying dust and the faint scent of rain. Seraphina stepped through the threshold, her silver veil whipping around her face as the torches along the corridor flickered in her wake.

The guards at the entrance dropped to their knees immediately. Servants froze mid-step, heads bowed low as she moved past. Her long black robes trailed behind her, sweeping across the marble floor like a shadow that swallowed light.

She didn’t speak. Her breath was shallow, her chest rising and falling beneath the fabric that hid her from the world.

Pain laced through every part of her body, deep and unrelenting. Still, she walked on, straight-backed and regal, her hand pressed briefly against her side as if to hold herself together.

The manor was silent except for her footsteps. Even the air seemed afraid to move. Every servant she passed bent lower, afraid to meet her gaze. They knew the look in her walk the calm before something terrible.

When she reached the inner chamber, the massive golden doors opened with a wave of her hand. She stepped inside, and as soon as the doors closed behind her, the strength she held onto shattered.

Her knees hit the floor.

A scream tore from her throat , guttural, echoing through the entire manor. The walls trembled. The flames in the torches burst wild, and the curtains whipped violently as if caught in a storm. Crystal vases cracked. A mirror shattered into a hundred pieces.

Her scream wasn’t just pain — it was guilt, it was grief.

Her hands gripped the floor, trembling. "I’m sorry," she whispered, voice breaking. "I am so sorry, Elena..."

Tears blurred her vision, rolling beneath her veil. "I hurt your daughter. I let my anger control me. That was never the plan..." She pressed a hand to her chest, where her heart burned as though someone had driven a blade through it. "I just wanted to save her. I... lost my heart."

The air around her shimmered. Slowly, the veil began to lift from her face as if moved by unseen hands.

For the first time in years, Seraphina’s true face was revealed.

Silver hair spilled free, glowing faintly in the dim light. Her eyes, once sharp and commanding, gleamed with deep sadness — a mixture of moonlight and storm, beauty and ruin. But across her left cheek, a dark red slash marked her skin. It pulsed faintly, as if alive. The wound wasn’t ordinary; it was a curse that refused to heal.

Her reflection glimmered faintly on the shattered floor. Once flawless, now scarred.

She raised her hand and tried to summon her magic. Threads of light curled around her palm, tracing her veins like living fire. She pressed them against her cheek, murmuring a spell. The glow flickered weakly. Nothing changed. The wound remained, stubborn and deep.

Her breathing grew uneven. She tried again, the light trembling stronger this time.

But just as she began to heal, a sharp knock broke through the silence.

Her head snapped toward the door. "What?" Her voice echoed, low and commanding, shaking the chamber walls.

The door creaked open. A young woman in a gray robe stepped in, her head bowed low. "High Chief Priest..." Her voice trembled. "There’s news from the palace."

Seraphina didn’t move. "Speak."

"The Queen has been poisoned," the woman said quickly. "But she was... saved again. By their miracle child. By Lumina."

For a heartbeat, Seraphina didn’t breathe. Then she rose sharply, her eyes flashing. "Saved her? What do you mean saved her?"

The servant flinched. "She— she used her power again."

"This is going to backfire!" Seraphina’s voice thundered, shaking the shelves. She turned away, pacing. Her hands trembled as she pressed them against the table. "She isn’t supposed to reveal herself like that!"

The servant stared, confused. "High Priest... you speak of her as if you know her."

Seraphina froze.

The woman hesitated. "Why are you so worried about the girl?"

Seraphina opened her mouth to reply, but her words choked in her throat. A sudden pain ripped through her chest. She gasped, stumbling backward, clutching at her heart. Black blood spilled from the corner of her lips, thick and tar-like.

"High Chief Priest!" the woman cried, rushing forward.

"Don’t—" Seraphina raised a shaking hand to stop her. Her voice was faint, broken but still powerful. "Send a message... to the Drakonis Realm." She coughed, blood splattering across her pale palm. "Tell them Lumina must be protected. Extra care, whatever is needed... do it."

The woman blinked, completely lost. "Protected? But why would you—"

"Do what I said!" Seraphina snapped, her eyes flashing bright silver. The air thickened, pressing the servant down until her knees hit the floor. "Do you want to regret disobeying me?"

"N-no, my lady."

"Then leave."

The woman bowed deeply, trembling, before hurrying out. The door shut behind her.

Silence fell again, broken only by Seraphina’s labored breathing. She staggered, pressing both hands to her chest as faint light leaked through her fingers. The glow was uneven, flickering like a dying candle.

She sank to the floor, trembling violently. The pain spread through her body, twisting her insides. The curse on her face darkened, veins of shadow crawling down her neck.

"Lumina..." she whispered, her voice shaking. "You will be the end of me."

Her eyes glowed faintly, a soft silver light flickering in the dim room. For a moment, her expression softened — pride and sorrow blending into something painfully human.

The floor beneath her shimmered as her magic bled into the marble, forming faint sigils that glowed like moonlight. She pressed a hand over them, whispering words too soft to catch.

"Be safe," she breathed. "Even if it kills me."

Her strength faltered. The light faded from her fingertips. She collapsed onto her side, her hair spilling across the floor like silver threads. The room dimmed, and her body trembled one last time before going still.

Outside the chamber, thunder rolled faintly in the distance as if the heavens themselves mourned the High Priest.