"What's your name?" Aurelia asked, stopping the girl before she could escape down the hall.
The young servant paused, her back straightening with a startled stiffness.
"Felicia, my lady," she answered, bowing quickly before slipping away as if afraid someone would catch her lingering.
Silence settled again.
Aurelia closed the door slowly behind her, the wooden frame giving a soft, tired thud.
She moved her hands to the bandage clinging to her leg, loosening it piece by piece. Her wound had healed.
She let her clothes slip from her body, the fabric whispering against her skin before pooling in a quiet heap on the cold floor.
Aurelia then stepped toward the bath—the steam rose, brushing against her cheeks. The water shimmered in the dim light, warm enough to soften the ache beneath her ribs.
She dipped her foot in first.
Then the other.
Aurelia lowered herself slowly, allowing the water to swallow her inch by inch, washing away the sweat, fear, and staleness of the servant quarters.
After I destroy Tenebrarum… I'll come for you next,
Calvus. I'll drag you down from whatever gilded corner you're hiding in.
I'll tear through every fortress, every oath, every lie you think can protect you.
You let humans bleed. You let us starve, break, scream.
So hear me well: I will ruin every creature who ever raised a hand against my kind. I will tear your empire apart stone by stone. I will make the dark creatures choke on the fear they fed us.
None of you will stand when I am done.
Her words hung in the room like smoke—thick, bitter, impossible to swallow. A question clawed its way into her mind.
How was she going to kill Tenebrarum?
Aurelia dragged a hand through her hair, her breath shaking, but her resolve did not tremble. She did have a plan—a silent, ruthless one.
She would play her part. She would give him what he wanted—obedience, softness, a smile he thought he controlled. She would make him believe she had finally bent.
And then she'd end him.
All she needed was silver.
Just a touch of it was enough to make a Dark Creature writhe. Their bodies hated it, their power recoiled from it—like their blood itself rejected the metal. Silver weakened them, overpowered them, and destroyed them quicker than any blade.
If she could slip just a little into his cup… If she could watch him drink it, unaware…
He would fall. Fall hard and fast.
Straight into whatever darkness spawned him.
Aurelia's lips curled. "Die."
She whispered it into the quiet room—not as a wish, but a promise.
---
Tenebrarum had returned hours earlier, his presence settling over the courtyard like a shadow spreading across the stones. Camilla did not come with him; she remained locked inside the palace, watched carefully, and kept away from Aurelia.
Out in the courtyard, beneath the cold sky, Tenebrarum stood before a wooden training ring with a single red mark painted in the center. He picked up an arrow, drew the bowstring back, and released.
Thrust—
The arrow snapped through the air but fell short of the mark, sinking into the wood far from center.
He paused, his jaw tightening. Tenebrarum was a master with blades—every demon in the realm knew that—but archery was different. He could have used his powers to send the arrow curving through the air with a single thought until it struck the exact center. But he didn't. He wanted to rely on himself, on muscle and skill, not magic.
He nocked another arrow.
Thrust—
Again, it flew, and again, it missed.
A quiet scoff broke the silence.
"Bad shot," a voice said from behind him.
Tenebrarum turned.
Aurelia stood there, hands folded behind her, pretending innocence. She had watched him, studied him, and waited for this exact moment—his frustration, his guard lowered, his pride exposed. This was the beginning of her plan.
Tenebrarum tilted his head slightly, curious.
Aurelia's heart raced, but she forced a small smile, stepping lightly into the courtyard.
She needed him to trust her, to believe her, to see her as harmless.
This was her first move.
The moment Aurelia stepped forward, steel flashed.
Two guards moved instantly, blades drawn, the edges catching the pale courtyard light as they crossed them in front of her. Their boots scraped against stone, forming a barrier of iron and muscle.
Aurelia froze.
She lowered her head at once, bending into a deep bow, her heartbeat thudding against her ribs.
"My lord," she said quietly, her voice steady even as fear curled under her skin.
For a breath, nothing moved.
Then Tenebrarum lifted one hand.
That was all it took.
Both guards stepped back at once, lowering their swords without a word. They didn't question him—they never questioned him. Their eyes stayed locked on Aurelia, waiting, watching, ready to cut her down if she made one wrong move.
Aurelia kept her gaze on the ground, hiding the spark of triumph rising in her chest.
He had dismissed them for her.
He had allowed her closer.
Her first triumph. Her first step. The beginning of his downfall.
When Tenebrarum finally spoke, his voice cut through the courtyard like a blade.
The young servant paused, her back straightening with a startled stiffness. "Felicia, my lady," she answered, bowing quickly before slipping away as if afraid someone would catch her lingering.
Silence settled again.
Aurelia closed the door slowly behind her, the wooden frame giving a soft, tired thud. She moved her hands to the bandage clinging to her leg, loosening it piece by piece. Her wound had healed.
She let her clothes slip from her body, the fabric whispering against her skin before pooling in a quiet heap on the cold floor.
Aurelia then stepped toward the bath—the steam rose, brushing against her cheeks. The water shimmered in the dim light, warm enough to soften the ache beneath her ribs.
She dipped her foot in first.
Then the other.
Aurelia lowered herself slowly, allowing the water to swallow her inch by inch, washing away the sweat, fear, and staleness of the servant quarters.
After I destroy Tenebrarum… I'll come for you next, Calvus. I'll drag you down from whatever gilded corner you're hiding in. I'll tear through every fortress, every oath, every lie you think can protect you.
You let humans bleed. You let us starve, break, scream.
So hear me well: I will ruin every creature who ever raised a hand against my kind. I will tear your empire apart stone by stone. I will make the dark creatures choke on the fear they fed us.
None of you will stand when I am done.
Her words hung in the room like smoke—thick, bitter, impossible to swallow. A question clawed its way into her mind.
How was she going to kill Tenebrarum?
Aurelia dragged a hand through her hair, her breath shaking, but her resolve did not tremble. She did have a plan—a silent, ruthless one.
She would play her part. She would give him what he wanted—obedience, softness, a smile he thought he controlled. She would make him believe she had finally bent.
And then she'd end him.
All she needed was silver.
Just a touch of it was enough to make a Dark Creature writhe. Their bodies hated it, their power recoiled from it—like their blood itself rejected the metal. Silver weakened them, overpowered them, and destroyed them quicker than any blade.
If she could slip just a little into his cup… If she could watch him drink it, unaware…
He would fall. Fall hard and fast.
Straight into whatever darkness spawned him.
Aurelia's lips curled. "Die."
She whispered it into the quiet room—not as a wish, but a promise.
---
Tenebrarum had returned hours earlier, his presence settling over the courtyard like a shadow spreading across the stones. Camilla did not come with him; she remained locked inside the palace, watched carefully, and kept away from Aurelia.
Out in the courtyard, beneath the cold sky, Tenebrarum stood before a wooden training ring with a single red mark painted in the center. He picked up an arrow, drew the bowstring back, and released.
Thrust—
The arrow snapped through the air but fell short of the mark, sinking into the wood far from center.
He paused, his jaw tightening. Tenebrarum was a master with blades—every demon in the realm knew that—but archery was different. He could have used his powers to send the arrow curving through the air with a single thought until it struck the exact center. But he didn't. He wanted to rely on himself, on muscle and skill, not magic.
He nocked another arrow.
Thrust—
Again, it flew, and again, it missed.
A quiet scoff broke the silence.
"Bad shot," a voice said from behind him.
Tenebrarum turned.
Aurelia stood there, hands folded behind her, pretending innocence. She had watched him, studied him, and waited for this exact moment—his frustration, his guard lowered, his pride exposed. This was the beginning of her plan.
Tenebrarum tilted his head slightly, curious.
Aurelia's heart raced, but she forced a small smile, stepping lightly into the courtyard.
She needed him to trust her, to believe her, to see her as harmless.
This was her first move.
The moment Aurelia stepped forward, steel flashed.
Two guards moved instantly, blades drawn, the edges catching the pale courtyard light as they crossed them in front of her. Their boots scraped against stone, forming a barrier of iron and muscle.
Aurelia froze.
She lowered her head at once, bending into a deep bow, her heartbeat thudding against her ribs.
"My lord," she said quietly, her voice steady even as fear curled under her skin.
For a breath, nothing moved.
Then Tenebrarum lifted one hand.
That was all it took.
Both guards stepped back at once, lowering their swords without a word. They didn't question him—they never questioned him. Their eyes stayed locked on Aurelia, waiting, watching, ready to cut her down if she made one wrong move.
Aurelia kept her gaze on the ground, hiding the spark of triumph rising in her chest.
He had dismissed them for her.
He had allowed her closer.
Her first triumph. Her first step. The beginning of his downfall.
When Tenebrarum finally spoke, his voice cut through the courtyard like a blade.
------------------------------------
To be continued...