The Dark Lord's words had barely faded into the night before the silence settled back over the hall. Solomon and Henry sat in uneasy quiet, still processing the weight of his presence, while Ariel and Nahar moved cautiously, bringing over the water as the men seemed restless. The chill of the stone walls pressed against them, a reminder of the fortress's oppressive stillness.
Minutes passed like hours. The four sat together, fatigue still heavy in their limbs from the day's relentless training. Slowly, the first signs came: Henry shivered, a wave of weakness washing over him, and Solomon's arms trembled unexpectedly as he lifted a cup of water to his lips.
"What… what's happening?" Solomon murmured, his voice tight with unease. He tried to shake the feeling off, to ground himself, but it only worsened. His fingers quivered, his legs threatening to give way beneath him.
Henry's face paled as a hollow sensation gnawed at his stomach. "I… I feel it too," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "Something… wrong."
Ariel clutched at her chest, dizziness clouding her vision, and Nahar faltered beside her, instinctively reaching out for support. But there was no strength left to hold onto.
From the shadows of the hall came a sound that froze their blood a soft, deliberate laugh, low and mocking. Reina stepped forward, her silhouette framed by the dim torchlight, eyes glittering with cruel satisfaction.
"Oh… look at you," she purred, circling them like a predator. "So strong, so proud… and yet so fragile. Did you really think a simple drink of water would do you no harm?"
The laughter grew, a harsh melody that twisted in the air. "The Black Grace does not forgive. It does not hesitate. And you my dear, perfect little lambs have fallen so easily."
Solomon tried to speak, to call out a warning, but his tongue felt leaden. Words tangled in his throat. Henry's knees gave way, sending him crashing to the cold stone floor. Ariel gasped, clutching at her stomach, and Nahar stumbled beside her, powerless to resist the creeping paralysis.
Reina knelt beside them, mock tenderness in her movements, the shadows of her presence stretching over their trembling forms. "Do you feel it? That slow, creeping weakness? The panic, the fear that grows with every heartbeat? Yes… that is the power of the Black Grace. Thirteen years I've honed it, woven with enchantments and shadows, and now… now it owns you."
Rage and fury surged through Solomon as he lifted his head, only to be met with a sight that shattered him. Before him lay the lifeless forms of his wife and Henry's, their strength no match for the venom that had coursed through them. The horror of their sudden death clawed at his chest, leaving it heavy with grief.
Turning slowly, his eyes met Henry's. In that gaze, Solomon saw the same unspoken terror, the same helpless fury mirrored back at him. He forced his voice past the trembling weight in his throat, words laced with raw determination: "You will not escape me."
But the strength to act had abandoned him. His limbs buckled, and Solomon sank back against the stone floor, powerless, too weak even to lift a finger. The poison had claimed its grip, leaving only the simmering fire of vengeance in his heart
Her laughter rose again, echoing through the hall, filling every corner with the sound of triumph. "Emberhaven's finest, brought to their knees with a single sip. Did you truly think strength alone could save you? Power is not measured in muscles or skill it is control. And control, my dears, is mine."
Solomon tried to rise again, to shield Henry, but his muscles refused him. Henry's vision flickered, collapsing beside him.
Reina leaned closer to Solomon, brushing her hand over his cheek with chilling precision. "You fought bravely… but now, you serve a purpose far smaller than you imagined. You exist only to feel the consequences of my work. Drink deep of despair, my champions. Revel in the helplessness your pride has wrought."
The hall seemed to close in around them, shadows curling tighter as the poison continued its silent, inexorable march. And Reina, standing over them in triumph, let her laughter fill the night, the Black Grace's victory absolute.