The carriage wheels rattled against the stone road, each sound sinking deeper into my skull like a warning.
I sat in silence, my wrists bound with crimson chains that pulsed faintly with suppression runes. Every time my bloodline tried to rise, the chains responded instantly, tightening like they were alive.
They were not ordinary restraints.
They were made for someone like me.
Or rather, someone they feared I was becoming.
Outside the small barred window, the sky had darkened. Thick clouds covered the moon, turning the world into a shadowed painting of gray and black.
The Blood Court was not far from the academy.
Yet every second of the journey felt like a lifetime.
Because I knew where they were taking me.
I had been there before.
I had died there before.
And I could still remember the smell of the place.
Iron.
Cold stone.
Burned flesh.
The carriage slowed.
Then stopped.
The door swung open violently.
Light flooded in, harsh and blinding.
"Out," a guard ordered.
His voice was cold, impatient, as if I was already guilty.
I stepped down slowly.
The moment my feet touched the ground, my breath caught.
The Blood Court.
It looked exactly the same as it did the day I died.
A massive black fortress made of obsidian stone, with towering walls that seemed to swallow the sky. Blood red banners hung from the pillars, fluttering slowly like they were alive.
The entrance gates were open.
And beyond them was the long corridor leading to the execution hall.
My stomach tightened.
I forced myself to breathe.
I could not show weakness.
Not now.
Not here.
The guards grabbed my arms again, dragging me forward.
The chains on my wrists clinked softly with every step, mocking me with familiar sounds.
As we entered the fortress, the temperature dropped instantly. The air inside was colder than outside, as if warmth was forbidden within these walls.
Torches burned along the corridor, but their flames were crimson instead of orange.
Blood flames.
Magic flames.
I swallowed hard.
Every torch reminded me of the flames that consumed me.
I tried to keep my mind steady, but memories attacked me with every step.
I remembered kneeling in the center of the hall.
I remembered Selene's whisper.
I remembered Lucien's voice promising me a painless death.
I remembered screaming until my throat became ash.
My fingers curled tightly.
I could not afford to fall apart.
Not when I had been given another chance.
We reached the large doors of the execution hall.
The guards pushed them open.
The sound echoed like thunder.
And I froze.
The Blood Court hall was packed again.
Just like before.
Rows of nobles sat in silence, their faces expressionless, watching as if they had come to enjoy a show. Elders in crimson robes sat on the raised platform at the front.
Their eyes turned toward me immediately.
Cold.
Judging.
Already decided.
And then I saw it.
The execution circle.
The exact spot where I burned.
The crimson runes were still carved into the floor.
The same runes that ate my blood.
The same runes that turned me into nothing.
My chest tightened.
For a moment, my legs felt weak.
But then I heard the voice again inside my mind.
Steady yourself.
My spine stiffened.
The Forgotten Queen.
Her presence felt like an invisible hand pressing against my back, holding me upright.
I lifted my chin.
The guards dragged me forward, forcing me to walk into the center of the hall.
A murmur spread through the crowd.
"That is her."
"The one with the mark."
"She awakened the crown rune."
"They say she drained Selene Frost."
Selene.
My eyes searched the room.
And there she was.
Sitting near the front row like a noble guest.
She was dressed beautifully, her golden hair styled perfectly, her face pale and innocent.
She held a handkerchief to her lips, pretending to tremble.
When her eyes met mine, she flinched slightly.
Then she gave me a small smile.
It was subtle.
Quiet.
But I understood it.
She was enjoying this.
She was enjoying watching me return to the place I died.
My blood boiled.
I wanted to tear her apart.
But I remained calm.
Because Selene did not know something yet.
I was not the same Elara she killed.
The High Elder who arrested me stepped forward.
He was older than most, his face carved with age and cruelty. His eyes were sharp, like they had never known kindness.
"Elara Nightborne," he announced. "You stand accused of forbidden blood awakening, assaulting academy guards, destroying sacred crystal property, and draining the bloodline of Selene Frost."
My jaw tightened.
Selene's name echoed through the hall like a sacred hymn.
Everyone believed her.
Everyone always believed her.
I glanced at Selene.
She stood up slowly, clutching her chest as if she was still in pain.
"My elders," she whispered, voice trembling. "I do not want to accuse her, but I felt my bloodline vanish. She looked at me and smiled. Then she took it."
Gasps filled the hall.
People turned toward me with disgust.
I stared at her.
She was lying so easily, so naturally, that if I had not lived through her betrayal already, I might have believed her too.
I took a slow breath.
Then I spoke.
"No."
The single word was quiet.
But it cut through the hall like a blade.
The High Elder narrowed his eyes.
"What did you say"
I lifted my head higher.
"I said no," I repeated. "I did not drain Selene Frost."
Selene's eyes widened slightly, as if she could not believe I was speaking back.
Then she began to cry.
Softly.
Perfectly.
"Elara," she whispered. "Why are you doing this"
I almost laughed.
Why.
As if she did not already know.
The High Elder slammed his staff against the floor.
"Silence," he barked. "You will answer when questioned."
I did not flinch.
My eyes remained on him.
And for the first time, I saw something I had not noticed in my past life.
Fear.
Not fear of me.
Fear of what I represented.
The High Elder's voice lowered.
"You have awakened an ancient mark," he said. "A blood crown. A symbol erased from history. Tell us who taught you."
I stared at him.
No one taught me.
You simply murdered me and forced me to return.
But I could not say that.
Not yet.
Instead, I whispered, "It awakened on its own."
The elders exchanged looks.
Whispers spread among them like poison.
The High Elder's eyes darkened.
"That is impossible," he said.
Then he raised his hand.
A mage stepped forward carrying a black bowl carved with runes.
My stomach dropped.
I recognized it immediately.
The Blood Truth Vessel.
In my past life, they used it on prisoners to force their blood to reveal secrets.
It was not a normal interrogation tool.
It was torture.
The mage placed the vessel on the floor in front of me.
The bowl glowed faintly.
The High Elder's voice was cold.
"Place your hand inside."
My body tensed.
The guards forced me forward.
I looked down at the bowl.
The liquid inside was dark red, almost black. It smelled like metal and something ancient.
I swallowed.
If I touched that bowl, it would read my blood.
It might expose the fact that I had died.
It might expose my rebirth.
It might expose the Queen's presence inside me.
And if that happened, they would not simply execute me.
They would destroy me completely.
Erase me.
Just like they erased her.
My hand hovered over the bowl.
Then the Queen's voice whispered inside my mind again.
Do it.
I froze.
"Are you insane" I whispered in my head.
Her voice was calm.
Trust me.
The High Elder's patience snapped.
"Now," he ordered.
The guards shoved my shoulder.
I stumbled forward.
And before I could stop myself, my hand dipped into the liquid.
Cold.
So cold it burned.
Instantly, pain shot up my arm like lightning.
The blood in the bowl reacted.
The liquid began to bubble.
The runes around the vessel flared bright crimson.
The entire hall shook.
The elders stood up, startled.
"What is happening"
I tried to pull my hand out.
I could not.
The liquid clung to my skin like it was alive, crawling up my wrist.
My heart pounded violently.
Then the bowl screamed.
Not a human scream.
A magical scream.
A sound so sharp that nobles covered their ears, wincing in pain.
Crimson smoke rose from the bowl, twisting into shapes.
And then, above the bowl, an image appeared.
A vision.
It was me.
Kneeling in the same Blood Court.
Chains around my wrists.
Flames rising around my legs.
The hall fell into stunned silence.
My breath caught.
They were seeing it.
They were seeing my death.
They were seeing the execution that had not happened yet in this timeline.
The vision grew clearer.
Selene stood beside Lucien.
Smiling.
Lucien watched coldly.
The High Elder in the vision raised his staff.
And the flames consumed me.
Gasps erupted across the hall.
Some nobles stood up.
"That is impossible"
"That is the execution circle"
"That is the future"
The High Elder's face turned pale.
He stepped back, his staff trembling.
"What have you done" he whispered.
I could not speak.
My throat felt tight, my lungs burning as if the memory of dying had returned into my body.
The vision shifted.
It zoomed closer.
Selene leaned down to whisper something into my ear.
The hall heard her voice clearly.
"Thank you for nurturing the bloodline for me. It was always meant to be mine."
The words echoed.
Loud.
Clear.
Unavoidable.
Selene's face went white.
Her handkerchief dropped from her fingers.
"No," she whispered.
Her knees buckled.
And I watched as the entire Blood Court slowly turned to look at her.
The High Elder's eyes widened with horror.
He looked back at me.
Then at Selene.
Then at the bowl.
His voice shook.
"This cannot be…"
Selene began to panic.
She stepped backward, her eyes darting around the hall like a trapped animal.
"I did not," she cried. "That is not real. That is not me. She is using forbidden magic to frame me"
But it was too late.
Because the Blood Truth Vessel did not lie.
The bowl released my hand suddenly, as if it had finished feeding.
I stumbled back, gasping.
The liquid dripped from my fingers onto the stone floor, sizzling like acid.
My heart was racing.
My mind was spinning.
The Queen's voice whispered again.
Now they know.
I clenched my jaw.
No.
They only knew Selene's betrayal.
They did not yet know mine.
They did not yet know I had already died.
The High Elder raised his staff again, but this time his hand trembled.
He did not point it at me.
He pointed it at Selene.
"Selene Frost," he said slowly, his voice filled with disbelief. "Explain yourself."
Selene shook her head violently.
"No. Please. I am innocent. I swear I am innocent"
She looked at Lucien, searching for help.
But Lucien was not looking at her.
He was staring at me.
His silver eyes were darker than before.
His voice was low.
"Elara," he said.
My body stiffened.
I turned toward him slowly.
His gaze was sharp, focused, as if he was seeing the real me for the first time.
"What is that vision," he asked quietly, "and why does it feel like you have already lived it"
My blood ran cold.
Because Lucien was not stupid.
And if he kept asking questions, he would eventually find the truth.
The High Elder's voice thundered.
"Enough."
He slammed his staff against the ground.
The runes on the floor flared to life.
Chains rose again, wrapping around my arms and legs.
I cried out as they tightened.
The elders were panicking now.
Their plan was slipping.
Their lies were cracking.
And they did not know what to do with me.
The High Elder's eyes burned with rage.
"Take her to the dungeon," he commanded. "Now."
The guards grabbed me again.
I struggled, but the chains drained my strength.
As they dragged me away, Selene screamed behind me.
"No. Please. She is the monster. She is the cursed one"
Her voice echoed through the hall.
But nobody listened.
Because for the first time, Selene's mask had slipped.
And everyone had seen it.
The heavy doors of the Blood Court slammed shut behind me.
Darkness swallowed me as the guards dragged me down stone stairs.
The air grew colder with every step.
The dungeon smelled like damp stone and old blood.
They threw me into a cell.
The iron bars slammed shut.
The chains on my wrists tightened again, forcing me to kneel.
I breathed heavily, trying to steady myself.
Then I heard footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
A single person walking toward my cell.
I lifted my head.
And my heart stopped.
Lucien stood outside the bars.
Alone.
No guards.
No elders.
Just him.
His silver eyes stared at me through the darkness.
He crouched slightly, his voice low.
"Elara," he whispered. "Tell me the truth."
My fingers clenched.
I stared back at him, my mind racing.
Because if I told him the truth, he could destroy me.
But if I lied, he would never stop hunting for answers.
Lucien's voice became colder.
"I saw myself in that vision," he said. "I saw myself watching you burn."
His jaw tightened.
"And I need to know."
His eyes narrowed.
"Was that really me"
I did not answer.
I could not.
Then Lucien spoke again, quieter this time, almost like a confession.
"If it was," he whispered, "then I want to know why you are looking at me like I am already your enemy."
My throat tightened.
Because he was.
He was my enemy.
Even if he did not know it yet.
I stared at him through the bars.
Then I smiled slowly.
A calm, dangerous smile.
"Because you are," I whispered.
Lucien's expression froze.
And the torchlight flickered.
As if the dungeon itself had just realized…
I had declared war.