The Queen's Wrath
843 Words
Chapter 5: The Queen's Wrath
Golden light consumed the library.
The walls trembled as ancient power surged from Seraphina's body like an unstoppable storm. Every shattered piece of glass rose into the air, suspended by an invisible force.
The mansion itself seemed to bow before her awakening.
Scarlett's confident smile vanished.
"No..." she whispered, taking a step backward. "This wasn't supposed to happen."
Seraphina slowly lifted her head.
Her brilliant golden eyes glowed with an unearthly light, and the crescent mark on her shoulder burned like molten gold.
"I remember..." she murmured.
Fragments of forgotten memories flashed through her mind.
A woman with silver hair cradling her as a baby.
A man dressed in royal armor kissing her forehead.
A castle surrounded by wolves kneeling before a throne.
Then...
Flames.
Screams.
Blood.
The memories shattered as quickly as they had appeared.
Lucien watched in stunned silence.
His wolf growled inside him.
Protect her.
The blood witch recovered from her shock and laughed.
"So the stories were true."
She stretched out both hands, summoning dark flames that twisted around her body like living snakes.
"Then I'll kill you before you become strong enough to stop us."
With a scream, Scarlett launched the flames toward Seraphina.
Lucien broke free from the magical chains with a roar and threw himself between them.
The flames slammed into him.
The impact hurled him across the room, crashing into a bookshelf that splintered into pieces.
"Lucien!" Seraphina cried.
He struggled to stand, blood running from the corner of his mouth.
"I'm... fine."
"You call that fine?"
Before he could answer, Scarlett attacked again.
This time, Seraphina instinctively raised her hand.
A glowing golden shield appeared.
The black flames struck it and vanished instantly.
Scarlett stared in disbelief.
"Impossible..."
Seraphina looked at her own trembling hands.
"I did that?"
"You are stronger than I imagined," Scarlett hissed.
She pulled a silver dagger from beneath her cloak.
Its blade was covered in strange crimson symbols.
"The Queen's blood dies tonight."
She charged.
At the last second, Lucien intercepted her.
Steel clashed against steel.
The sound echoed through the library.
Scarlett fought with terrifying speed, but Lucien matched every strike.
Their blades sparked as they collided again and again.
Meanwhile, Dante slowly regained consciousness.
He wiped blood from his forehead and reached for his pistol.
Seeing Lucien outnumbered, he joined the fight without hesitation.
Gunshots rang through the room.
Scarlett spun gracefully, dodging every bullet.
"You'll have to do better than that," she mocked.
Suddenly, the lights went out.
Darkness swallowed the mansion.
Only Seraphina's golden aura illuminated the room.
A low growl echoed from somewhere beyond the broken windows.
Then another.
Dozens of glowing red eyes appeared in the forest.
"They're surrounding the estate," Dante said.
Lucien's expression darkened.
"The Shadow Wolves."
Scarlett smiled again.
"My army has arrived."
Outside, monstrous wolves leaped over the estate walls while masked assassins followed close behind.
The guards fought desperately, but they were hopelessly outnumbered.
Explosions lit up the night.
Smoke rose into the sky.
The De Luca estate had become a battlefield.
Inside the library, Seraphina suddenly heard a voice.
Not from the room.
From inside her mind.
"The throne awaits its Queen."
She looked around in confusion.
"Who said that?"
No one answered.
Again, the voice echoed.
"Follow the light."
A hidden section of the library wall began to glow.
Ancient symbols appeared across the stone.
With a deep rumble, the wall slowly slid open.
Behind it lay a secret staircase leading underground.
Lucien immediately noticed it.
"So... it does exist."
"You knew about this?" Seraphina asked.
"I knew the legends."
"What legends?"
Before he could answer, Scarlett screamed in fury.
"No!"
She abandoned her fight with Lucien and sprinted toward the staircase.
"She must never enter the sanctuary!"
Lucien tackled Scarlett before she could reach it.
"Dante!"
"I know!"
Dante grabbed Seraphina's hand.
"We have to go!"
"I can't leave Lucien!"
"You can if you want him to survive!"
Reluctantly, she followed Dante down the ancient staircase.
The stone door closed behind them with a thunderous boom.
Darkness surrounded them.
Only Seraphina's glowing body lit the narrow passage.
"What is this place?" she whispered.
Dante looked ahead.
"A place even Lucien has never entered."
They continued walking until the passage opened into a breathtaking underground chamber.
Golden pillars stretched toward a ceiling covered with glowing crystals.
Ancient murals covered the walls, depicting queens, wolves, witches, and dragons kneeling before a woman wearing a crown of light.
At the center of the chamber stood a magnificent throne carved from pure white crystal.
The moment Seraphina stepped closer...
The entire chamber came alive.
Thousands of golden symbols floated into the air.
The throne began to shine.
Then a voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"Welcome home... Your Majesty."
Seraphina froze.
Behind her, the massive stone door exploded inward.
Scarlett stood in the entrance, bruised but smiling.
"You finally found it," she said.
She slowly raised the crimson dagger.
"And now..."
Her smile widened with terrifying satisfaction.
"...you'll die before you can claim your crown."
- Writer
