CHAPTER 18
941 Words
Third Person's POV
The room where the royalties stayed fell into heavy silence.
The earlier commotion had completely died down after Wraise's commanding shout. The weapon Lean had summoned earlier disappeared, and she simply sat on the edge of Luciana's bed. Moments later, Wraise broke the suffocating quiet.
"It's Annika."
Her voice was serious-but the anger beneath it was unmistakable.
The Delacroix siblings, Drex and Dionne, immediately stood up. They looked at Wraise with serious expressions, brows raised in confusion at her behavior.
"There's no traitor blood in our family," Dionne said firmly. "So we're sure she's not the one you're talking about."
Their siblings nodded in agreement, turning their gaze back to Wraise, who frowned as she studied them. Drex added calmly,
"She's right. It's impossible for her to be the killer. She may be weak and foolish, but there's no traitor running through her veins."
He sat back down, as if unsure why he even stood up in the first place. Dionne followed.
Wraise spoke again.
"That's not the point. Even if you share blood, it doesn't change the fact that she's angry at us. We hurt her-it's not impossible that she wants revenge."
"She didn't do it."
Luciana's cold voice cut through the tension, drawing everyone's attention.
She had been one of Annika's worst tormentors-someone who despised her for no reason. And now... she was defending her.
The world really does turn fast.
"And what makes you say that?" Wraise asked, raising a brow.
"She talked to me while I was asleep," Luciana said. "She said she was sorry for what she did to me. She never meant to hurt me that badly... I just pushed her to her limit."
She paused, her voice softening.
"Imagine that... she apologized to me, while I never once apologized to her. I feel... bad."
Everything she said was true.
...At least, that's what she felt when Annika spoke to her.
Luciana had felt sincerity in Annika's voice-along with pain. It made her feel guilty... but at the same time, something inside her resisted believing it completely.
"And so?" Wraise snapped. "What does that prove? Didn't it cross your mind that she could've been acting?"
Lean and Lumino didn't like her tone, but they stayed silent.
"It did cross my mind," Luciana admitted. "But it still doesn't make sense. Why would she choose now to take revenge when she could've done it before?"
She continued, her voice firm.
"Because she has power now? That's still senseless. If she really hated me, she could've killed me while I was lying here, completely defenseless... but she didn't."
"But-"
Wraise was cut off when Josiah, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly spoke.
"Why are you so insistent, Wraise? She's still weak. We all know she has a soft heart-she couldn't do something like that. And besides, who would she even betray? There's no one she'd turn against."
"Then if it's not her, who is it? Don't tell me it's one of us-because none of you would ever-"
Wraise suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
Her eyes widened as she looked at everyone.
At that moment, it was as if they all shared the same thought.
In an instant, they became alert.
Weapons appeared in their hands as they instinctively distanced themselves from one another.
The Delacroix, Grimm, Ezclovoix, and Merlee siblings grouped together-ready to protect their own.
"Y-You wouldn't do something like that... right?" Davis asked, his voice no longer carefree.
"We wouldn't," Luciana replied, gripping her crystal blade tightly. "But what about you? Would you?"
"Of course not! Maybe it's you!" Josiah shot back defensively, drawing suspicious gazes toward the Delacroix.
"Where were you earlier, Josiah?" Wraise demanded, her voice sharp. "Why weren't you with us? You were even one of the first to find the body in the CR. Tell me... are you the traitor?!"
Caleb immediately stepped in.
"He didn't do it! I asked him to check on Luciana-I had things to handle in the office! What about you, Wraise? You kept pointing fingers at Annika earlier... what if you're just using her as a cover?!"
"Why would I betray you?!" Wraise snapped. "I've done everything to keep the royalties safe! Why me?!"
"Maybe it's you, Lumino!" Gloom suddenly accused. "Where have you been these past few days? Did you get mad at us and decide to get revenge?!"
Tension rose sharply.
"I went back to our kingdom because staying here was pointless!" Lumino snapped. "You think I'd betray you? Ha! Why would I waste my time betraying a bunch of d*ckheads?!"
"What did you just say-"
"Maybe it's Yvo!" Lean cut in. "Our kingdoms have had conflicts before-maybe you were ordered to-"
"Why would my kingdom do that?!" Vleen interrupted angrily. "What are we, children?! If anything, look at Davis-his kingdom literally thrives in darkness!"
The atmosphere darkened instantly.
All eyes turned to Davis.
His expression was cold-unfamiliar.
"My kingdom has nothing to do with this," he said lowly. "Do you want me to cut ties right now? I'm not the traitor, yet you keep accusing me. I'm out."
With that, he stormed out.
Silence returned.
They looked at each other-no trust left in their eyes.
One by one, they left... each taking a different path.
Siblings against siblings. Kingdom against kingdom.
The entire University darkened.
Rain poured heavily.
Cold winds howled through the air, and the leaves and trees around them withered.
It was as if the world itself was reacting to the emotions of the royalties.
---
From afar, a girl watched them with a satisfied smile.
"Good... tear each other apart," she whispered.
"...After that, I'll kill you all."
- Writer
