******Author's POV
Night draped the demon castle in a deep crimson hue—moonlight filtered through windows tall as towers, painting the marble floors with pale silver streaks. Servants had long retired, the guards patrolled lazily, unaware that two foreign witches were already nestled in the heart of the castle.
Ellis and Natalie moved through the grand corridors with the ease of people who belonged there—Ellis in Marielle's borrowed skin, Natalie wearing the appearance of a lesser maid. They carried trays, nodded at guards, bowed at demons who walked past them… all according to plan.
Tonight was the eve of the wedding.
The perfect night to strike.
Inside Harper's chambers, Ellis—still in the form of Marielle—finished braiding Harper's hair loosely, humming gently to lull her. Her hands moved with a mother's tenderness, though her face was that of a maid.
"My Lady, lie down," she whispered. "You must rest properly tonight."
Harper nodded, exhaustion painting her features.
"I don't know why, but… I'm so tired."
Ellis placed her palm over Harper's forehead.
A faint purple glow rippled outward—soft at first like a pulse, then deepening into shimmering rings that sank into Harper's consciousness.
A spell of deep slumber.
It wrapped Harper like protective silk, ensuring she would dream of nothing—not pain, not chains, not Kael's voice or Seraphina's claws.
Ellis whispered softly,
"Sleep peacefully, my daughter."
She stood up, eyes glowing faintly red—the sign that Ellis was using her full witch power despite the danger.
Natalie entered quietly and closed the door behind her.
"Is she asleep?" she whispered.
Ellis nodded.
"Soundly. No nightmares tonight."
The two witches stepped into the center of the room, joined hands, and began chanting in a language that no demon had spoken for centuries.
The temperature dropped instantly.
Frost spread across the floor—except it wasn't frost. It was crystallized magic, glowing softly with moonlight trapped inside.
The castle lights flickered.
Then—
A massive wave of silver and blue energy burst from the room, rolling across the castle like a silent storm.
It moved through walls, curtains, floors—passed through guards and maids and demons—leaving them all frozen for a heartbeat before they collapsed, falling into sleep so deep even nightmares could not reach them.
The entire demon kingdom slept.
Ellis and Natalie didn't stop.
They moved through hallways lit only by the faint glow of their magic. In each corridor, they whispered new spells—hexes that clung to carpets, threads of illusion hidden in walls, traps woven with invisible thorns.
On the throne path, Ellis pressed her fingers to the marble—and dark roots of enchantment crawled up, settling under the surface where no eye could see.
"If Kael tries to walk Harper down this path himself," Ellis murmured, "it will collapse."
Natalie moved to the grand hall.
She snapped her fingers, and the chandeliers shimmered blue—then flickered with faint cursed fire.
"If Seraphina tries to bless the union, the lights will expose her true form."
In the inner courtyard, Ellis traced symbols in the air. They sank into the soil, making the ground vibrate softly.
"And if Kael makes Harper say her vows… let the earth reject the union."
Hours passed.
By the time they finished, sweat clung to their brows, and the sky had begun to lighten. Their magic had nearly drained them.
The witches finally stopped in a secluded hallway.
They exchanged a long, heavy sigh.
"It's done," Natalie breathed.
Ellis nodded.
"Yes. Let's leave before our power alerts Kael."
They turned—
But the moment their magic disappeared into the night, the shadows behind them rippled.
A tall figure cloaked in flowing darkness stepped silently into the castle corridor.
His presence shifted the air—like gravity itself bent around him.
He raised one hand.
Black fire—cold and shimmering like glass—swirled from his fingertips. It spiraled upward, forming a twisting vortex of ink-dark smoke.
The vortex pulsed once—
Then shattered outward like breaking crystal.
The shockwave traveled across the kingdom, touching every spell Ellis and Natalie had placed.
Crack—
The frost melted.
Crack—
The cursed fire extinguished.
Crack—
The roots beneath the marble disintegrated.
Every spell dissolved, turning to ash that drifted into the night like dying fireflies.
The figure lowered his hand.
His lips curved faintly—something between amusement and warning.
Then he vanished into the shadows, leaving no trace except the echo of a power far older than the kingdom around him.
---
*****Author's POV — Early Morning, Wedding Day
As dawn broke, the demon castle buzzed to life—though everyone felt strangely exhausted, as if waking from an unusually heavy sleep.
Seraphina stormed into Kael's room without knocking, her voice sharp.
"Kael! Wake up, now!"
Kael opened one eye, annoyance etched across his face.
"What is it this time?"
"I fell asleep!" Seraphina snapped. "Abruptly! And I haven't fallen asleep like that in over a century. Something is wrong."
Kael sat up fully this time, his brows tightening.
"This isn't new," he muttered darkly. "It's the witches."
Seraphina gasped.
"Which witch would dare—?"
"Not just any," Kael said coldly as he stood. "Only a powerful one could put the entire kingdom to sleep and leave no trace… except a hollow in the air."
He grabbed his cloak.
"We need to search the castle. Now. Before the ceremony."
Seraphina nodded sharply and barked orders at the guards outside.
"Hunt down every witch in the kingdom. Kill them on sight."
The guards saluted and sprinted off.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"This wedding will happen. No witch will stop it."
---
******Harper's POV
I woke up gently, the sunlight warm against my skin. For once—
I felt… rested.
Peaceful.
No screaming.
No burning.
No chains.
No voices calling on me to use powers I couldn't even remember.
A soft knock sounded.
"Come in," I said.
Marielle—Ellis in disguise—stepped inside with a relieved smile.
"Good morning, my Lady. How do you feel?"
"I feel… good." I blinked in mild surprise. "No nightmares."
Marielle's smile softened further.
"I'm glad."
We began preparing for the wedding. My dress shimmered with crimson embroidery, and my hair fell in soft curls as Marielle styled it.
Then Marielle picked up a small box.
"Before we finish," she whispered, "I have a gift for you, my Lady."
Inside lay a simple black hairpin. Elegant. Sharp at the ends. Made of obsidian glass.
I hesitated.
"A black pin? For a wedding? Shouldn't the color be… red?"
Marielle chuckled lightly.
"My Lady, red is for celebration. Black is for protection. And you will need protection today."
Her tone was gentle, almost pleading.
I nodded slowly.
"Well… thank you, Marielle. It's beautiful."
I pinned it into my hair, unaware of the magic pulsing faintly beneath the surface.
Marielle stepped back.
"You may take a stroll in the courtyard before the wedding, if you wish."
I blinked, confused.
"But you said before that I'm not allowed to—"
"Yes," Marielle said quickly, "but today is special. A short walk will calm your nerves."
I thought about it… and nodded.
"Alright. Thank you."
I stepped out, the corridor bright and calm.
But something in the air felt strangely heavy.
---
*****Author's POV
The moment Harper disappeared from sight, Natalie slipped silently into the room.
Ellis dropped her disguise of calmness and exhaled sharply.
"What now?" Natalie asked.
Ellis turned to the mirror Harper had just used.
"We awaken Ravenna."
Natalie's eyes widened.
"By restoring Harper's memory?"
Ellis nodded.
"And the hairpin?" Natalie whispered.
Ellis's lips curved slightly.
"That pin carries Ravenna's echo. Once Harper's emotions rise… once her memories stir… the pin will crack open the seal Kael placed on her mind."
Natalie let out a slow breath.
"So today… everything begins."
Ellis nodded.
"Today… Harper remembers."