CHAPTER 302: DAY OF JUDGEMENT-I

Quietly, Ariel moved through the dim corridors of the palace, fully aware that the only place Morpheus would ever permit an outsider to enter was the throne room. She crept along the edges of the hall, eyes scanning every shadow, every flicker of torchlight, and only stepped from the corners when she was certain the path ahead was clear.

She paused once, just behind a pillar, as a pair of guards passed. Neither of them so much as glanced her way.

Her fingers reached instinctively for the bracelet around her wrist, a piece she had made herself, following Morpheus’s exact instructions, however begrudgingly. Twisting it slightly, she felt the warmth of her own magic pulsing faintly through it.

So, his teachings weren’t just riddles and manipulation after all. The enchantment had worked.

The bracelet didn’t make her invisible, but it dimmed her presence, muffling her aura enough to slip past those attuned to the presence of others. A cloak of silence in a castle always listening.

At the end of the corridor, beyond where the guards had vanished, Ariel turned into a smaller, mostly abandoned hallway. It led away from the throne room, but only on the surface.

And because of her quietly studying the entire palace, she knew better.

This path, forgotten by most, curved toward a concealed entrance. A secret passage hidden behind these old walls, just before the far end of the hall. The passage led directly into one of the walls beside the seat at the throne room— a perfect place to observe, to listen and to uncover the truth behind Morpheus’s strange meeting.

And perhaps, finally, to understand the goal he guarded so closely.

She stopped when she reached the oval mirror nestled between two tall, dust covered cupboards. Her fingers trembled slightly as she pushed the porcelain vase aside, just as Morpheus had once demonstrated. A low, mechanical rumble shuddered through the stone floor, and the mirror creaked as it slowly began to recede, revealing a narrow threshold cloaked in darkness.

Her heart pounded.

She hesitated only for a breath, then darted inside before doubt, or discovery, could catch her. As soon as her foot crossed the entrance, the mirror began to slide back into place. Just as she saw the flicker of movement, shadows of the guards passing nearby, the passage sealed shut, cloaking her once again in silence and shadow.

Ariel leaned against the cold stone wall and released a slow breath, one hand pressed to her racing heart.

That had been far too close.

She couldn’t afford to be caught. Not now, not when she was so close to learning what Morpheus had kept hidden.

Wiping her clammy palms on her skirt, Ariel turned and hurried down the narrow passage. The air here was stale and thick, untouched by time, and every footstep echoed faintly like ghostly whispers. The deeper she went, the faster her thoughts raced.

Who was this woman? Why would Morpheus agree to meet her when he couldn’t even tolerate the idea of outsiders?

It didn’t make sense, and that was what terrified her.

Soon, the corridor came to an abrupt end at a brick wall. Ariel stopped, breath catching in her throat. She reached for the third brick on the upper right, the one Morpheus thought no one but himself knew about.

But she didn’t press it. Not yet.

Instead, she leaned in and peered through the narrow slits between the bricks, secret hole that offered a limited but clear view of the throne room.

Her eyes widened as she peeked.

There, standing in the center of the chamber, was a woman unlike any Ariel had seen. She wore a deep olive gown that shimmered with every movement, sparkling as though woven from slivers of fairy wings and starlight. The way she held herself, poised, happy, as if she was going on a fun little trip for herself and was excited for it, made something twist uncomfortably in Ariel’s stomach.

Ariel’s fingers dug into the stone. Her magic pulsed faintly from her bracelet, but she barely noticed. She couldn’t look away.

Who was she? And more importantly... what did Morpheus want with her?

Ariel’s unease deepened. She had come here for answers, but now, she feared the truth might be far worse than anything she had imagined.

The woman’s long black hair cascaded to her hips like a silk curtain, every strand gleaming under the dim lights of the throne room. Her eyes were sharp, long lashed and fox like, glinting with a mischief she didn’t bother to conceal. She carried herself with an elegance that was neither stiff nor cold, and yet, something about her presence made Ariel’s pulse lurch uncomfortably.

There was no reason to feel this... dread. They had never met before. She was a stranger. And yet, Ariel’s instincts screamed. Her breath hitched quietly in her throat. It felt like watching a shadow from a forgotten nightmare take shape.

Why? Why does she feel so... familiar?

Then came the moment that truly stole the breath from her lungs.

From the far end of the room, Morpheus rose from the throne. He descended the steps, not with his usual cold arrogance, but slowly, politely, until he reached the woman. And then, to Ariel’s disbelief, he bent to one knee.

He took the woman’s hand and pressed a kiss to it, his eyes closing as if in reverence.

Ariel’s fingers gripped the bricks. Her mind reeled.

The woman let out a soft, amused chuckle, her gaze sweeping across Morpheus’s face before drifting to the throne behind him.

"It still looks the same," she mused, her voice low and honeyed with nostalgia. She tilted her head, smiling faintly. "You didn’t even bother to touch the decorations... not even after she left."

A flicker of pain passed over Morpheus’s features. His hand fell from hers as he straightened up, his tone clipped and quiet.

"It was never my hobby to tend to such details," he said. "Not when there are far more pressing matters to handle."

"Hm," the woman hummed, her smile curling as she leaned back with feline ease. "So, you’re telling me to skip the pleasantries and talk about our plan."

The air in the passage grew colder. Ariel’s thoughts tumbled, trying to make sense of what she was hearing. Our plan?

"N," Morpheus stifled his sigh, "No, Lady Alice."

Ariel raised her eyebrows, Alice?

"It’s the first time for me to enter another witch’s coven," said Alice as she spread her arms toward the ceiling, "Although she did left the coven and you, this place still feels like her."

"Lady Alice," remarked Morpheus while Alice laughed.

"Oh dear, I forgot. You told everyone that you left the coven right? When the truth is... she left you and everyone else here, for that silly little human Duke of hers."