Born of Vengeance : The Version I Always Hated From Ashes to Evil

"NO!" Her scream echoed through the room. "This can't be true!" She shook her head repeatedly, tears streaming down her face as she staggered backward. "No... no... you're lying." Her entire body trembled violently. The truth was too cruel. Everything she had believed in was crumbling before her eyes. Then—she suddenly coughed. Blood splattered onto the floor. Her eyes widened. A sharp pain erupted in her chest. Confused, she slowly looked down. Blood. It flowed down her trembling body, staining her clothes crimson. A blade protruded from her chest. The cold metal had pierced straight through her heart. She collapsed into a growing pool of crimson. As her vision blurred, a familiar figure knelt beside her. Tears glistened in his eyes. "I'm sorry, my love." His voice broke. The words were gentle. Darkness slowly consumed her vision. Yet even as death reached for her... A strange smile tugged at her lips. "It's not over yet." ————————— Back at the present. Lilith's POV - What is life? What is meant to be existed even though we all are gonna die in the end? These were the thoughts wandering around my mind for years. The life everyone envy, work hard to achieve was under my feet. Luxury, wealth and the most prestigious school to study come for being the daughter of the richest businessman, Daniel Valemont. But to me, those were all just ornaments, useless. "Ouch." I clutched my ankle as a sharp sting shot through it. But I was used to pain. A little bruise was nothing compared to what I endured every day. "Young Lady, your car is ready." Sebastian's gentle voice pulled me from my thoughts. The old butler stood at the doorway, his silver hair neatly combed as always. Unlike everyone else in this mansion, he was one of the few people who had ever shown me kindness. "I'll be there in five minutes." He gave a small nod before turning around and leaving. As I was about to follow him, something unusual caught my eye. Behind an old bookshelf, partially hidden beneath years of dust, was a narrow wooden door. A door I had never seen before. Curiosity got the better of me. Slowly, I pushed it open.The rusty hinges groaned as a cold gust of air brushed against my skin. A staircase descended into darkness. The basement. I hesitated for a moment before making my way down.The room at the bottom was disappointingly small. Spiderwebs covered the corners, and broken furniture lay scattered across the floor. "That's it?" I muttered. Just as I turned to leave, my foot caught on something. I stumbled forward. My hand landed on an old leather-bound book lying on a desk. Click. A loud sound echoed through the room. Suddenly, the wall before me trembled and slowly slid open. My eyes widened. Behind it was an enormous hidden library. Towering shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, filled with thousands of ancient books. I stood frozen in awe. A secret library. For a girl who loved reading more than anything, it felt like discovering paradise. I wandered between the shelves, running my fingers across countless forgotten stories. Then one book caught my attention. Unlike the others, it seemed almost alive. Bound in aged black leather and decorated with crimson markings, it rested alone upon a pedestal. On its cover, a single word was engraved in silver letters. HELL. For some reason, I couldn't look away. The book seemed to call to me. My fingers slowly reached toward it. But before I could open it— "Young Lady!" Sebastian's voice echoed from upstairs. I jumped. Panic filled me immediately. The basement was strictly forbidden. If Father found out I was here, I didn't want to imagine the consequences. Without thinking, I slipped the strange book into my bag. Taking one last glance at the hidden library, I hurried upstairs and closed the secret door behind me. "Young lady, please hurry up otherwise you'll get late for school." "Yes.yes. coming." Westbridge Elite Academy. the most prestigious school in the city—a place where the children of politicians, celebrities, and billionaires study. As I got down from the car, ready to face whatever awaited for me in school. Two girls rushed towards me, out of breathe panicking. "Lilith! Hurry up come with us!" "What happened?" I was getting a bad feeling about it. "Rosy is fighting with Joshua!" my blood ran cold after hearing this. I quickly ran away leaving those girls behind. As I reached the classroom a crowd had already gathered outside. "Move!" I pushed my way through the students. The moment I saw the scene, my stomach dropped. Rosy Miller, my childhood bestie, had Joshua Hawthorne, my bully, by the collar while Joshua looked seconds away from losing his temper. The photos. They were everywhere. Pinned to the walls. Across the desk. Even to the whiteboard. Every single pic of me. In one picture, I was entering Mr. Anderson's office after class. In another picture, he was standing behind my chair, holding my hand. But the last one, my blood ran cold. It showed me kissing Him. My legs gave out making me collapse on the floor. The room spun. "No..." My voice came out as a whisper. "No, no, no..." Laughter erupted from somewhere in the classroom. Whispers followed. "Oh my God." "I knew something was weird." "That's disgusting." My hands started shaking. Meanwhile Joshua smirked. "Now I understand why Miss Golden Student were able to top in clas—" but before he could finish, his face came across with Rosy's fist. Punching him hard. "It's your doing! Isn't it? You bastard!" He spat on the floor "I just exposed the truth to everyone. And if it's my doing then prove it." But Rosy's patience was wearing thin. "I'll kill you!" before she could step —"Everyone! On your seat!" Everyone looked around only to see Miss Sofie standing there. "Lilith Valemont. Principal called you to her office." The walk to the principal's office felt endless. Every whisper followed me. By the time I reached the office, my palms were drenched in sweat. I knocked twice. "Come in." Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open. The principal sat behind her desk. Beside her stood Mr. Anderson, looking like a victim in all of this.