34

The room's temperate had dropped when he left, the blue butterflies inside the jar fluttering even more erratically. Regan sank in a chair, unable to hold back the tears anymore. How could all of this be real? 

A moment or two passed and she realized she was still in his chamber. Regan stood up with a jolt, wiping the tears from her eyes. She had to get out of here.

Her legs felt like jelly as she walked over to the door, thankful that he hadn't locked it.

Once outside, when she thought she could breathe, she met with a man dressed in a military attire. Regan remembered him from that diner. His brows furrowed just slightly when he saw her.

"Isn't lord Sirius here?" he nodded behind her.

"H-he left," Regan answered, hating her trembling voice.

"Are you alright?" the man asked, noticing her red eyes.

"I'm fine," Regan forced out, "Why do you ask?"

The man's stoicism lowered a bit as he spoke, "You're crying. If anything's bothering you, you can always address to me. If you don't know already, I'm general Vlad, the lord's second in command."

Regan avoided eye contact and darted her eyes around, trying to ignore him, "I'll keep that in mind."

He persisted, "If there's anything you need or want to discuss, I'm here."

"Fine. Thanks," she muttered, turning away, trying to distance herself as far as possible.

As she walked away, Vlad maintained a respectful distance but kept a watchful eye on her. 

"What's the matter, Vlad? Why are you bothering her?" Regan heard the sharp voice of Sirius from somewhere behind her, a tinge of possessiveness in his tone.

"It's nothing, my lord," the general replied calmly, "I was just asking if she was okay."

Sirius's eyes flickered to Regan, darkening slightly, "Let her be. Stick to your duties, general," he ordered sternly.

"As you wish, my lord," the general nodded curtly, "In fact, I came to inform you about a matter."

"Wait inside then," Sirius told him, his voice like a whip crack. The general nodded again and disappeared in one of the rooms.

Regan meanwhile hadn't turned behind, but she felt his body heat as he approached, "What were you talking with him? You're looking for company?" he sneered.

Regan turned, glared at him with a heated gaze, "I'm looking for you to root in hell," she growled, walking away with enraged steps.

He caught up with her, his hand shooting out to grab her arm, "You can talk to me if you like," he said, his voice almost gentle.

Regan's eyes widened slightly at his words and at his hold on her arm. She couldn't believe the nerve he had.

"I'm not going to talk to a murderer," she jerked her arm away, her voice dripping with venom.

She didn't look back once as she fled away, her eyes prickling. Sirius simply watched with an unreadable glint in his eyes, "As if you'd talk to me if I wasn't a murderer," he muttered under his breath.

Her legs carried her to the room quickly and Regan locked the door once she was inside. Ruby was sitting in the bed, jumping slightly when Regan slammed the wood shut. 

She could barely speak to her pet when she lay on the bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Ruby crawled to her, her tiny claws scratching Regan's arm lightly.

Her life, it had all been a lie. Her name, she had called herself Regan her whole life. Yloria wasn't just a birth name as he said. It was a destruction of what she had been living in all these years, a stab to the girl she knew, Regan Miller. The earthly girl with school dreams and hobbies, despite how weird, alien she had felt. Despite how she could never fit the standards.

And he was the reason of it all. The way he had claimed it, with no remorse, no regret, as if it was something so trivial. 

Her hands gripped the sheets tightly and she couldn't stop the tears. Ruby was obvious aware of her turmoil, crawling back and forth over Regan's shoulders. But all Regan felt was despair.

She didn't care about his disdainful words. She could've had parents, a real identify, not one made up of lies and stories. She had known her aunt's love, yes. But never a mother's and father's one. The tears only fell harder, the confinement of her fancy chamber feeling like the cold walls of a dungeon.

A soft knock slowly fluttered her eyes open. Regan wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. She wiped the tears away angrily, hid Ruby under the blanket and stood up, her legs barely carrying her to the door. Behind it was her mentor, the gentle smile fading as soon as she saw Regan's state.

"My dear, what's wrong?" Seraphina asked, her voice filled with concern as she stepped inside.

Regan took a shaky breath, "You knew about it, right?" There was no accusation or resentment in her voice, just the force to not have a breakdown.

The mentor's eyebrows furrowed. "Avalon," Regan clarified, her eyes downcast. She could see Ruby moving under the blanket.

Seraphina's eyes flashed with understanding, "He told you?" she asked, placing a hand on Regan's shoulder.

Regan nodded, not finding her voice to speak. She sat on the bed, letting her locks cover her tear-stained face. "How....how is that possible?" she asked, more to herself, more to her life. She didn't know what was more unbelievable, the fact that she was an alien, or the fact that she was from a royal alien lineage.

Seraphina noticed the small animal under the blanket but said nothing about it, "Sadly yes. It's true," she said, sitting down next to her.

"B-But it makes no sense!" Regan exclaimed, her breathing no less quicker, "How could've he destroyed a kingdom, killed all these people and gotten away with it? Does law even exists here?" she looked at Seraphina, expecting a honest answer.

Seraphina sighed, "Yes. Law exists here. But creatures like him," she paused, a frown growing deeper in her face, "He was imprisoned once indeed. And for many years. But he managed to escape."

"They couldn't catch him again?" Regan probed, her voice trembling.

The mentor shook her head, "It's not that simple. He's a half-demon, half-sorcerer. And he's an emperor," she paused, though there was no contempt in her voice, "The law authorities, the other rulers, they're all too aware of everything. But they don't dare oppose him openly," she looked at Regan. "The consequences would be severe."

"But it's a crime," Regan protested, her voice breaking.

"It is," her mentor agreed, "And there's also another reason why the law is passive, I believe. He, Sirius, was raised by a witch named Agnes, who took part in Avalon's destruction. She's been imprisoned ever since, and it's like they're using her to compensate for his crimes."

"But that means they serve him too," Regan pointed out standing up abruptly, "You're practically telling me he's untouchable. That there's not someone strong enough to bring him down?

"Strength and power are a part of it," Seraphina said, her gaze distant over the window. "But it would be worthless without intelligence and strategy. Besides, everyone who holds power as a threat here is either banished or punished," she paused for a moment, her eyes lighting up with something unreadable, "Except you."

Regan almost scoffed. She was just a pawn here, a means to an end she didn't know. Her powers, a threat? But her family, she couldn't ignore the pain and anger deep seated in her heart, a fierce urge to rebel, something she had never felt so strongly before. Maybe Seraphina was right.

"He said he killed my parents," Regan whispered, her voice small. She wished she could remember, but apart from that vision he gave her, she had nothing else.

Seraphina sighed again, "He rarely tells the truth as truthful as it is."

"You mean he could have lied?"

"I mean," the wise woman said as she took Regan's hand in hers, "that you're his enemy and he'll try to manipulate you in whatever possible ways."

A faint glimmer of hope found its way on Regan's heart, but she didn't dare react too much, "You're saying that my parents could be alive?"

"I don't know for sure," the mentor answered, her gaze still out of the window, "But their bodies were never found. I'm saying that you shouldn't believe everything blindly. Believe in the God and yourself."

Regan nodded, though the finality in his voice when he had talked about it spoke otherwise. But she knew she couldn't believe every word of him. 

"The bond," Regan said the word with bitterness, "You haven't explained it fully to me."

"It was a power only held by your mother, Queen Octavia and inherited to you," Seraphina's explained and Regan's heart clenched at the mention of her birth mother's name. "It's unknown how Sirius obtained it. But it's said his is corrupted, a product of dark demonic power."

Regan didn't say anything. She could feel the resolve that had begun to build since she was abducted here, now burn brighter. How could someone commit such atrocities and get out if it unharmed? How did these people or aliens even accept his rule?

Suddenly, she felt the same feeling she had felt when she searched for him this morning. He must be near.

Regan's blood started to boil. She didn't wait for him to barge in. She strode to the door and opened it, and yes, finding him coming. He trailed on his steps, his expression cold and stern.

"What do you want?" Regan spat, her voice sharp despite her hands shaking.

"Get inside," Sirius ordered, his eyes narrowing with something unreadable. "I have to talk to Seraphina."

Regan's cheeks burned a little as she stepped aside, letting her mentor step out of the chamber. She didn't want to linger here either so she turned back, closing the door behind her. Ruby jolted out of the blanket, her doe eyes wide with fear and wonder.

Regan sat down, stroking Ruby's fur with a trembling hand. "I'll make you pay," she gritted, her voice filled with a vow that promised revolt.

Meanwhile, out of the chamber, Sirius was talking to Seraphina, his voice cold and stoic, "Your job in mentoring the girl is done, I don't want you meddling in her affairs. You're dismissed."

Seraphina held her composure, but still said, "Why? You said she needed guidance."

"She doesn't need it anymore," Sirius's eyes were cutting, "She has learned enough."

Seraphina nodded, her expression unreadable, "As you wish, my lord."

The lord dismissed her and walked back to his study. Somehow, he was relieved, relieved that he told Regan her true identity. That matter had been bothering him for too long. At least, now she was officially his enemy, the stakes were clear, her hatred would grow by each passing second, and that was what he wanted.

Before entering his study, he saw Allegra and Vesper standing there, Vesper's features specially twisted into a frown.

"Do you need anything?" he asked blankly.

"We were just walking by," Allegra said with a smile, "we thought we could say hi."

"There's something we need to talk about," Vesper added, her voice serious.

"Speak, I don't have all the day," he retorted, his eyes narrowing with impatience. He opened the door to his study, and gestured for them to enter. Allegra's eyes widened when she saw the wall was cracked.

"What happened here?" she asked in bewilderment, "It smells like a fight."

"It doesn't matter," Sirius muttered. "Now what were you going to say?"

Vesper stepped forward, scanning the study with gritted teeth, "You did something," she accused, her eyes seething with anger, "you told Regan about her true identity."

Allegra's eyebrows furrowed. She didn't know about that, she had expected them to talk about something else.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, wondering how did she know, "So what if I did?" he said calmly, his voice like ice.

"You had no right!" she snapped. "You shouldn't have told her about that. You should've killed her before she ever found out!"

Sirius's expression hardened, "I don't owe you any explanation for what I do with her," he said, his voice a frustrated growl. "And besides, she was going to find out."

"She wasn't going to find out if you hadn't told her," Allegra interrupted, not with the same tone as Vesper, but still concerned, "What was the need to tell?"

Sirius leaned against his desk, his jaw ticking, "You seem awfully worried," he observed, his voice taking on a mocking tone, "you're afraid, aren't you? You're afraid she'll become too powerful and a threat to you."

"We're not afraid," Vesper replied, her voice strained, "but you made a grave mistake. You've given her a reason to fight against us."

Sirius's smirk grew, "And you think she didn't have a reason before? You think you had her under your order? That's why you two fought?"

"Because she deserved it," Vesper retorted, "Because she was a fool. And now she has a real reason, a personal vendetta."

"And what's so concerning about that?" Sirius questioned with an eerily calm tone, "She doesn't have a thing to do with you. She's my enemy, not yours."

"And what does that mean?" Vesper hissed, her jaw clenched with anger, "That you're going to marry her someday? That she's going to be your queen?"

Allegra's eyes widened at Vesper's bluntness, but she remained silent. She had never expected Vesper to talk like that, not in front of Sirius at least.

Sirius's expression darkened, "You don't know what you're saying," he said, his voice deadly frost, "but that's enough. You're dismissed."

But Vesper wasn't enough, "No," she countered, "if you don't care at all, then why haven't you killed her? You're trying to get her on your side, aren't you?" she accused, her voice dripping with venom, "And then throw us away like we never existed."

Sirius walked over to the window and then smirked mockingly, "That doesn't mean I want to get her on my side. I've studied her for strategic reasons."

"Haven't you studied her more than necessary?" Allegra asked, her tone cautious.

"Hard subjects are always studied more than necessary," he mused, as if lost in thought.

"I don't care about your studies and subjects-" a knock on the door interrupted Vesper and she huffed in frustration. Allegra whispered to her to leave, but Vesper didn't listen. 

Behind the door was Vlad and when Sirius called for him to enter, he told them two to leave. Vesper left reluctantly, Allegra trying to drag her away.

They turned to their chambers, Vesper seething with anger. Allegra was confused and didn't speak. Circe was lying on the bed, playing with a hologram device. When she saw them two, she smirked.

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," she teased.

"Shut up," Vesper snapped, her fists clenching. "You don't know what happened. Sirius told her about Avalon and all that shit."

Circe's smirk faded for a moment before it turned into a smile, "So what? You thought he wasn't going to tell her? You thought she was never going to find out?"

Circe's words fueled Vesper further and she snatched the device from her hands, throwing it away. It broke and Circe looked at her with wide eyes, "How dare you?" she exclaimed, rushing to try fix it.

"You little brat," Vesper spat, "you don't know at what stake we are."

"You're just afraid," Circe snapped back, "you act as if it's the end of the world."

Allegra watched them, thinking to try soften the matter in a mischievous way, "Come on Ves, you know Circe's right. You're acting like a scared little girl."

"I'm not a scared little girl," Vesper spat, "But you're both fools anyway. I'm going to get rid of her. And then, we'll see who's scared."

There was a determination in her tone that made Allegra flinch. She knew Vesper well enough and her threats like this were never empty.

"So what, you're going to kill her?" Circe said with a scoff, "You think you're going to get away with it?"

Vesper's eyes were cold, "I'll find a way," she said, "I always do."

Allegra's heart raced, she didn't like the sound of this. She knew they were going to be punished severely if Vesper did something stupid. So it was better to leave her alone in her plan.

"Fine, if you get through the guards," Allegra said with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood. "They're everywhere, and they won't just let you waltz in to kill her."

Vesper turned to her, her eyes blazing, "As if they care," she hissed, "she's allowed to go out of that hellhole she calls her room. And when she does, she's as good as dead."

Circe rolled her eyes, "Fine, do it, Ves. But when you get caught, don't come saying we were all part of your plan," she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Vesper didn't answer. She stormed out of the chamber, leaving Allegra and Circe looking at each other in disbelief.