Chapter 201 - The Serpent's Lullaby, A Bloom Awakens

Chaos erupted around me as the cultists charged. Alaric shoved me behind him, drawing his sword in one fluid motion.

"Stay close!" he shouted, his blade connecting with the first attacker's weapon.

The dining hall transformed into a battlefield. Tables overturned, pottery shattered, and the haunting sound of steel meeting steel filled the air. Cassian moved with lethal precision, taking down two cultists before they could even raise their weapons.

What shocked me most was Clara. My half-sister, whom I'd never seen do anything more strenuous than pour tea, fought with unexpected ferocity. She'd grabbed a knife from the table and moved with surprising agility, slashing at a cultist who tried to grab her.

"Isabella!" Alaric called out, backing toward me while fending off attacks. "We need to find the Original Clara!"

A haunting melody drifted through the chaos - a woman's voice singing in a language I didn't recognize. The sound seemed to come from deep within the convent.