"The Witch’s Redirection"

The rain poured violently over the imperial capital, as if the heavens themselves were trying to wash this day out of existence. But nothing could cleanse blood. Nor hatred. Nor endings. At the heart of the imperial square stood the black execution platform, massive and cold beneath the storm, while thousands gathered around it from every direction. Nobles stood beneath silk umbrellas, while commoners pushed through rain and mud just to witness the fall of the empire’s most infamous woman. Serafina Etherion. The genius of House Etherion. The most beautiful noblewoman in the capital. And the most insane. “Witch!” “She tried to kill Lady Elysia!” “Execute her!” The screams rose like crashing waves, but Serafina barely heard them. She stood upon the platform with unnatural calm, her hands chained behind her back with black restraints engraved with anti-magic runes, while her white dress clung to her body from the rain. How amusing… She had chosen white herself today. As if she had known it would become her shroud. Slowly, she raised her eyes. And the world disappeared the moment she saw him. Cassian Valerion. The Crown Prince. The man she had destroyed herself for. He stood directly beneath the platform, surrounded by knights, dressed in his black imperial uniform embroidered with golden threads. His rain-soaked black hair only sharpened the harshness of his features, but his golden eyes… They were painfully cold. Something tightened inside Serafina’s chest. Even now… Even standing moments away from death… She still loved him. How pathetic. A faint laugh escaped her lips, vanishing beneath the sound of the rain. Cassian noticed. She saw his eyes narrow slightly. The commander of the knights stepped forward into the center of the square and unrolled the verdict with a loud voice. “Serafina Etherion, eldest daughter of Duke Etherion, is hereby condemned for the attempted assassination of Lady Elysia Ravine, fiancée of the Crown Prince, through the use of poison and forbidden magic within the imperial palace.” The crowd erupted violently. “Death to the witch!” “Execute her!” “Mad monster!” Serafina closed her eyes for a moment. How easy it was for them. To turn her into a monster. Perhaps monsters were never born all at once. Perhaps they were created slowly. From loneliness. From unrequited love. From staring at one person until they became your entire world. She opened her eyes again and looked directly at Cassian. She remembered the first time she had seen him. She had been nine years old. A spoiled, angry child who lost control of her magic during a winter banquet in the palace. Blue mana had exploded violently around her, making everyone retreat in fear. Everyone… except him. The boy with golden eyes had walked toward her without hesitation and taken her trembling hand. “Calm down.” He had said it simply. Yet his voice had been the first thing that ever quieted the chaos inside her. And from that moment… She had never been able to escape him. She grew up chasing him with her eyes. Smiling only when he approached. Burning with anger whenever he ignored her. Consumed by jealousy each time he looked at another woman. Until her feelings became something ugly. Something suffocating. Something that made everyone whisper behind her back: “The lunatic obsessed with the Crown Prince.” And yet… She never stopped. Because part of her had always believed that one day, he would finally look back at her. But the ending was here. On an execution platform. Beneath the rain. While he himself stood there to watch her fall. Her fingers trembled inside the restraints. Not from fear of death. But because his gaze was completely empty. As if she had never meant anything to him at all. “Cassian.” She whispered his name at last. Her voice was strangely calm amidst the storm. But she saw his shoulders stiffen for a brief second. He heard her. She took a shaky breath. “Did you… hate me that much?” Silence fell. Even the crowd gradually quieted, waiting for the Crown Prince’s answer. But Cassian did not reply immediately. He simply stared at her. For a long time. Far too long. Then, at last, he spoke in a low voice that almost reached only her. “You chose this path yourself.” It felt as though the chains tightened around her throat. She laughed softly again. Yes. Perhaps she had. But… “If we could go back…” She lifted her eyes to him directly, and for the first time in years, the madness disappeared from her gaze. Only exhaustion remained. “I would choose to love you less.” Cassian’s expression changed at last. Something shook within those golden eyes. Something resembling shock. But it was already too late. The executioner slowly climbed the platform steps, his massive sword gleaming beneath the rain. The crowd began chanting again. And Serafina felt the cold seep into her bones. It was over. Strangely… She was no longer angry. Only tired. So very tired. She turned her head slightly and saw Elysia Ravine standing among the nobles in her soft white dress, looking sorrowful as though mourning Serafina’s fate. What a brilliant actress. Even now… She was still lying. A hysterical urge to laugh rose inside Serafina. If only they knew the truth. If only they knew who had truly poisoned her. But no one would believe her now. Not after everything she had done before. Not after years of public jealousy. Her breakdowns. Her foolish threats. She had built her own cage. And now she was being executed inside it. The executioner raised the sword high. At last, her heartbeat quickened violently. Fear. So she truly was afraid. She lifted her eyes toward Cassian one final time. And that was a mistake. Because she saw something she should never have seen. Pain. There was real pain inside his eyes. Small. Hidden. But there. Her eyes widened slowly. “You…” She whispered unconsciously. But the sword fell. And the moment she felt the coldness of death— Something exploded inside her chest. A massive blue light engulfed the entire platform. Screams erupted from every direction. Mana exploded violently around her body, shattering the black restraints for a single moment. Then— Darkness. --- Serafina gasped violently as she jolted upright in bed. Her breathing came in hysterical bursts. Her hand flew instantly to her neck. No blood. No pain. Yet she could still feel the cold edge of the sword. She stared around in shock as candlelight flickered across the walls of her spacious room. Her room. She froze. No… Impossible. She stumbled out of bed so quickly that her feet nearly tangled in the soft carpet before she rushed toward the golden mirror. And the girl reflected within stared back at her with equal shock. Long silver hair. Blue eyes. Her face. The face of Serafina Etherion. But… Younger. Slowly, she turned toward the calendar resting on the table. And the moment she read the date— All color drained from her face. Six months before the execution. Her fingers trembled violently. “No…” She whispered. Then she laughed. A short, broken, trembling laugh. She had returned. She had truly returned. But why? And why did she remember everything? The square. The sword. The gazes of the people. And Cassian’s final expression. Nausea twisted inside her suddenly. That pain in his eyes… Why could she only see it now? Rapid knocks interrupted her thoughts. “Lady Serafina?” Mira’s voice. Her personal maid. “Come in.” Mira entered quickly with a bow. “A letter has arrived from the imperial palace.” Serafina froze instantly. The palace? Mira carefully handed her the letter. The black-and-gold seal stamped upon the paper was unmistakable. The Crown Prince’s seal. Her hand trembled as she slowly opened the letter. Then she read the single line written inside. “Come to the palace immediately.” — Cassian Valerion Her eyes widened in shock. Because she remembered this day perfectly. The day he first told her… Tell me your opinions on the first chapter, and if there's a lot of interaction, I'll post the second chapter tomorrow.