The room was a whirlwind of chaos, and for a brief, terrible moment, all Nova could do was watch as King Alex writhed on the cold stone floor, the poison searing through his veins like fire.
His skin blistered and his eyes rolled back, his breaths coming in ragged, pained gasps. Ember stood with a triumphant sneer, her gaze locked on the agonizing king as if she were savoring every second of his suffering.
Nova's heart pounded with a frantic rhythm, her instincts screaming at her to move, to act, but the weight of the moment held her still.
That's when she saw it—a flicker of movement in the shadows at the edge of the room.
Her breath hitched as the figure emerged, cloaked in darkness, but unmistakably familiar.
It was Selene, Ember's partner—the woman who had haunted Nova's dreams for as long as she could remember, whispering lies and sowing doubts.