Alana's perspective
My knees weakened as I tried to stand, my legs failing me again and again. It felt as if I were carrying the entire weight of the Demon Realm on my shoulders an unbearable pressure grinding down on my soul.
My vision blurred as I lifted my trembling arms, but they shook violently, vibrating with a deep-seated terror rather than mere exhaustion.
I forced myself upright and walked slowly through the castle garden, my steps unsteady on the stone path.
The night air was heavy and cloying, the exotic flora swaying gently in the shadows as if whispering dark secrets among themselves. I made my way toward the iron gates where my black carriage waited.
When I boarded, it moved slower than usual, the obsidian horses pulling with a hesitant gait, as though even they sensed my sudden fragility.
Above me, the night sky felt fundamentally wrong. Three moons hung high in a jagged arc far larger and brighter than normal for such a dark night. Their pale, ghostly glow followed the carriage like an unblinking eye all the way home.
As soon as I arrived, I drifted quietly through the manor halls, my silhouette thin against the candlelight, and went straight into my room. A maid knocked and opened the door softly, the light from the hallway spilling across the floor.
"My lady, have you eaten?" she asked, her voice tight with concern.
"No," I replied weakly, staring into the dark. "I've lost my appetite."
I collapsed onto my bed, burying my face into the soft, fluffy pillows.
This is all my fault.
I never should have involved Justin.
Now he's lost what mattered most to him… why did I let this happen?
Tears soaked into the silk pillows as my chest tightened painfully.
I should sleep, I thought, my eyelids heavy. Tomorrow… things will be clearer.
The cold, dark night passed with a cruel, supernatural quickness too quickly. It felt like a dream slipping through my fingers before I could grasp it.
"My lady, it's time to wake up. You have wedding plans today."
The sharp rattle of the door handle pulled me from the depths of sleep.
"Yesss… I'm getting up," I muttered, my voice raspy.
Yesterday had been a violent storm of blood and emotion. No matter how much I tried to deny it, I blamed myself for Alicia's death. If only I had checked the perimeter before going there… if only I had been more careful.
Those thoughts ran wild as I lay in bed, the mocking sound of birds chirping outside filtering in while harsh sunlight spilled into the room, blinding me.
I pushed myself upright and rubbed my eyes to chase away the lingering shadows of sleep. My bare feet touched the cold stone floor as I stood, adjusting my lace nightgown before heading toward the bathroom.
I walked there in a daze of silence.
Then, the thought hit me like a physical blow.
Is Justin still alive?
My eyes widened in shock. I froze in front of the bathroom door, my hand resting paralyzed on the handle.
Suddenly
A violent pounding struck my chest.
I clutched my heart as I collapsed to my knees. Another pound followed, then another each one feeling as if my chest were being ripped open from the inside by a jagged blade.
I screamed in raw pain.
The maid turned toward me, her face a mask of horror.
"My lady! Are you alright?!"
"I ….I'm fine," I gasped, my voice trembling, tears of agony filling my eyes.
"But my lady, you just" she said, rushing toward me with reaching hands, trying to help me up.
"I said I'm fine!" I screamed.
"Leave me at once."
My voice dropped unnaturally low a cold, commanding resonance that echoed with a power not entirely my own.
The door shut immediately.
I staggered into the bathroom and stood before the tall, ornate mirror.
My breath caught in my throat.
My eyes were pitch black void-like, bottomless, and utterly lifeless. My hair, once a vibrant dark, had faded into a dull, ashen gray. My skin was deathly pale, almost corpse-like under the vanity lights. With shaking hands, I opened the front of my gown.
There
A grotesque lump beneath my chest.
Beating.
Like a heart.
…A second heart.
Crimson light traced through my veins like liquid fire, spreading across my body from that pulsing core. My veins glowed a violent, neon red, crawling beneath my skin like living cracks of dark energy.
I looked unnatural like a creature of forbidden alchemy that was no longer meant to exist.
I stumbled backward and fell into the porcelain bathtub, my legs lifting awkwardly into the air. A surge of white-hot pain flashed through my head as I struggled upright and dropped back to my knees.
Tears poured uncontrollably, splashing onto the cold tiles.
"I look like a monster," I hissed, my voice shaking as badly as my broken body.
I rushed back into my bedroom and threw open the heavy oak wardrobe. I pulled on a black dress, fastened sapphire blue earrings, then grabbed a long, sweeping coat that brushed against the floor.
I pulled the hood up, shielding my face in shadow, and slipped leather gloves onto both hands.
Then
BANG.
The door burst open.
I startled and spun around. There stood a man with messy, moss-green hair and skin as pale as marble. He wore a long black overcoat and heavy, buckled boots that thudded with authority.
Darius.
"Alana," he said sharply, his teeth clenched in irritation, "tell your maids this is my house too. We're planning our wedding."
"I forgot," I replied with an eerie calmness, my voice deeper and more hollow than normal.
"Yesterday was… too much."
I turned away from his piercing gaze.
"Wait outside. I'll be there shortly."
"Oh… okay," he muttered, seemingly put off by my tone, closing the door behind him.
I stared at my gloved hand. Beneath the leather, my muscles twitched and pulsed beating with the rhythm of that second heart.
My body is rotting from the inside… slowly but surely.
I tightened the gloves and stepped outside my room, where Darius leaned against the wall waiting with an impatient scowl.
"My father's room," I whispered to myself.
I spun around, ignoring Darius, and sprinted down the hall. I burst into my father's quarters and crossed to my mother's old vanity, ripping the drawers open.
I searched desperately throwing contents onto the floor in a frantic heap until I reached it.
My father's silver safe, etched with ancient runes and a digital lock.
I tried my birthday.
Access Denied.
I tried my mother's happiest day the day I was born, as my father told me when I was just a little demon.
Still nothing.
Then it struck me.
Their anniversary the day the three moons aligned in the sky.
The 19th of August, the third century after the Great War.
The day my father declared his eternal love.
The safe hissed and clicked open.
Inside was a small, ornate box buried under nearly a century's worth of dust and yellowed documents. I threw the papers aside and pulled the box out gently, wiping it clean as it began to glow with a soft, ethereal light in my hands.
The pills.
The only thing that could control the growth of the lump the only thing to ease the agonizing pain.
I opened the box, revealing glowing pills formed from pure, stabilized mana. I picked one up, placed it on my tongue, and swallowed.
Slowly, I felt the cooling sensation spread.
I stood and looked into the bedroom mirror.
My eyes faded back to their warm hazelnut. My hair returned to its deep, midnight black shine.
My skin regained its natural, healthy color. I exhaled a long, shaky breath of absolute relief.
I opened the front of my dress and stared at the lump.
It had stopped its violent beating.
Still.
I pulled my dress back into place and turned to see Darius watching me from the doorway, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied, my voice smooth and regal.
"I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."
"Good," he said, looking away toward the window.
"We should head to the royal castle soon. We need to plan the wedding."
I walked past him and returned to my room for a final change. I shed the black and donned a gown of brilliant crimson, matching it with blood-red earrings and sharp red lipstick to complete the look.
When I stepped out, Darius was waiting by the stairs.
"Took you long enough," he said sharply, checking his pocket watch. "Let's go."
"Yes," I replied.
"Of course."
We descended the grand staircase and crossed the wide courtyard. The gardeners greeted me softly the enchanted trees and bushes swaying gently as if bowing in my presence. I raised my hand and offered a small, practiced smile.
They responded in kind, their leaves rustling a salute.