Chapter 17

Mira and Liam arrived at the grand venue where the banquet was being held. The extravagant hall was filled with high-society elites, elegantly dressed in designer suits and gowns, sipping on expensive champagne as they exchanged pleasantries. The chandeliers above cast a warm golden glow, illuminating the room with an air of sophistication.

Mira, dressed in a sleek dark blue gown that complemented her striking features, moved gracefully through the crowd with Liam beside her. Unlike her, Liam didn't bother hiding his boredom, his sharp eyes scanning the room for anything remotely interesting.

"This is going to be so boring," Liam muttered under his breath as he took a glass of wine from a passing waiter.

Mira chuckled lightly. "Well, you can always sneak out. I doubt Mom would notice right away."

Before Liam could respond, the grand hall was suddenly plunged into darkness. Gasps of surprise filled the air as guests murmured in confusion.

"What's going on?" someone whispered.

A moment later, the lights flickered back on. And there, standing in the very center of the hall, was Athasia.

And then—just as abruptly—the lights flickered back on.

Standing in the center of the grand hall, amidst the sea of elegantly dressed guests, was Athasia.

She was wearing casual clothes—a simple black hoodie and loose jeans, looking completely out of place among the extravagantly dressed attendees. Her platinum hair cascaded past her waist, her green eyes gleaming under the chandelier's light. She was utterly still.

Her brows furrowed slightly as she took in her surroundings. Confusion. She hadn't been here a moment ago—so how had she suddenly appeared in the middle of a banquet hall?

The room was suffocatingly silent.

The guests, who were used to seeing only the elite among them, were frozen in place, their eyes locked onto the unexpected figure. Some looked bewildered, some annoyed, while others seemed slightly unsettled.

Athasia slowly turned her head, her gaze passing over the sea of unfamiliar faces. Each person she looked at seemed to instinctively lower their eyes, as if something about her mere presence was unnerving.

She didn't speak.

No one did.

Somewhere in the crowd, Mira and Liam stood side by side, watching. Mira's grip tightened around the fabric of her gown. She didn't need to say a word—her eyes were already brimming with certainty. It was her.

Athasia was finally here.

Flashback—

Athasia stood in front of the mirror in her dimly lit room, removing her hoodie as she prepared to change into something more comfortable. The faint glow of the streetlights outside barely illuminated her space, casting long shadows on the walls.

Just as she reached for a fresh shirt, she felt it.

Hands.

Firm yet cold, resting lightly on her waist.

Before she could react, a voice whispered near her ear, deep and familiar.

"A little help?"

Athasia froze for a fraction of a second before narrowing her eyes. There was only one person bold enough to sneak up on her like this.

"Zamiel."

She didn't have to turn around to know who it was. His presence was distinct—the faint scent of something dark and intoxicating, the weight of his gaze against her skin, the way the air itself seemed to shift around him.

Instead of answering, Zamiel's fingers moved with practiced ease, pulling her shirt down for her. The fabric slid over her frame smoothly, and the brush of his hands against her bare skin sent an unwelcomed shiver down her spine.

She hated feeling weak.

"Someone's looking for you," he murmured. His tone was unreadable, but there was something in the way he spoke that made her wary.

Before she could question him, the world around her shifted.

Everything turned black.

The silence was deafening, like being submerged in deep water. Then, in a blink—

Light.

The sound of clinking glasses, hushed murmurs, and an atmosphere of wealth and grandeur.

She was standing in the middle of a banquet hall.

Dressed as she was before, in simple, casual clothes, while the rest of the attendees were adorned in the finest silks and jewels.

Her fingers twitched as she clenched her hands into fists.

Zamiel.

He had sent her here.