CHAPTER 15
843 Words
The palace of Azurith Kingdom had become quieter than ever.
Ever since Pearl was poisoned, fear spread through the kingdom like a dark current beneath the sea.
Servants whispered carefully in corners.
Guards watched every hallway more closely.
And nobody trusted strangers anymore.
Yet despite all the fear surrounding the palace, Pearl still struggled to believe someone truly wanted her dead.
Inside her chambers, she sat quietly brushing her silver hair while staring absentmindedly at the glowing ocean outside her balcony.
The loss of her child still weighed heavily on her heart.
Sometimes she wondered if she had done something terrible for fate to punish her so cruelly.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
“Come in,” Pearl said gently.
The doors opened slowly and Queen Queen Seraphine entered carrying a tray of healing herbs.
Pearl smiled faintly.
“You’re always bringing me something.”
The queen returned the smile softly.
“A mother never stops worrying.”
Pearl lowered her eyes sadly.
“I’m sorry for disappointing everyone.”
Queen Seraphine immediately frowned.
“Never say that.”
Pearl looked confused.
“But the baby…”
The queen quickly sat beside her.
“You lost a child, Pearl. You are grieving, not disappointing anyone.”
Tears gathered in Pearl’s eyes again.
“I really thought things were finally getting better.”
Queen Seraphine gently touched her daughter’s hand.
And for a brief moment—
Guilt flashed through the queen’s face.
Because there were truths hidden inside the palace that Pearl knew nothing about.
Dangerous truths.
Before the queen could speak again, loud footsteps echoed outside the chamber.
King King Thalor entered looking furious.
“The guards still haven’t found the healer,” he growled.
Pearl looked down quietly.
The king’s anger softened slightly upon seeing her.
But rage still burned beneath his calm.
“I swear whoever did this will pay.”
Queen Seraphine exchanged a brief glance with him before quickly looking away.
The king noticed.
A small frown crossed his face.
“Is something wrong?”
The queen forced a calm expression immediately.
“No.”
But something inside her voice sounded tense.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the palace, Ella quietly moved through one of the older palace corridors.
Her curiosity about the pale stranger had only grown stronger overnight.
She needed answers.
And Ella had always been good at finding secrets.
Carefully, she approached the area where she had last seen the queen speaking privately with the mysterious man.
The corridor was empty now.
But something caught her attention almost immediately.
Strange silver energy marks floated faintly through the water near the coral walls, glowing softly like traces of magic left behind.
The currents around them moved strangely, almost as if the ocean itself had been disturbed.
Ella stared at them carefully.
“What are you?” she whispered.
Suddenly—
A voice behind her made her freeze.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Ella quickly turned around.
And there he was.
The pale stranger.
Standing silently behind her.
Up close, he looked even more unsettling.
His silver eyes almost seemed unnatural.
Ella immediately straightened herself.
“You were at the gates yesterday.”
The stranger studied her carefully.
“And you were spying.”
Ella crossed her arms defensively.
“I live here.”
“That does not answer my statement.”
His calmness irritated her instantly.
Ella stepped closer boldly.
“Who are you?”
The stranger remained silent.
Ella narrowed her eyes.
“How do you know the queen?”
Still—
No answer.
The pale man simply stared at her as though deciding whether she was important enough to acknowledge.
That only annoyed Ella more.
“You’re hiding something.”
Finally, the stranger spoke quietly.
“So are you.”
The words struck her harder than expected.
Ella’s expression stiffened slightly.
The stranger’s eyes drifted over her calmly.
“You carry darkness around you.”
A chill crawled down Ella’s spine instantly.
She forced a laugh.
“You don’t even know me.”
“But I know guilt.”
Silence.
Ella’s heart skipped painfully for a moment.
Did he somehow know?
No.
Impossible.
The stranger slowly stepped closer.
“Be careful what secrets you chase inside this palace.”
Ella swallowed nervously despite herself.
“And why should I listen to you?”
The pale man’s gaze darkened slightly.
“Because some truths destroy the people who uncover them.”
Before Ella could respond, voices suddenly echoed nearby.
The stranger immediately looked toward the approaching guards.
Then without warning—
He disappeared into the darker currents of the corridor.
Almost like a shadow swallowed by the sea itself.
Ella stared after him in shock.
“How did he…”
The guards arrived moments later.
“Princess Ella?” one guard asked. “Are you alright?”
Ella quickly regained composure.
“Yes.”
But her thoughts remained trapped on the stranger’s words.
You carry darkness around you.
For the first time in a long while—
Ella felt something unfamiliar creeping into her chest.
Fear…
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