The Eastern Territories – A Hidden Sanctuary
Far from the capital, beneath mountains cloaked in mist, a hidden sanctuary pulsed with forbidden energy.
Candles flickered in underground chambers.Blood runes shimmered on the walls.
At the center of the room, Evelyne Greymoor stood in front of a mirror of obsidian, her emerald eyes reflecting something older than magic itself.
A voice whispered from the mirror's depths.
"Do you accept the pact, child of ambition?"
Evelyne's lips curved into a cold smile.
"I accept."
A Dangerous Alliance
This was no ordinary spell.
Evelyne wasn't just playing court games anymore.
She was making a Blood Moon Pact—a contract with the forbidden forces sealed away after the last crimson-gold cycle.
The mirror's voice coiled like smoke.
"Then hear this: To break the Crimson-Gold bond, you must tear the past from their souls. You must shatter their memories. Twist their love into hatred."
Evelyne's fingers tightened around the hilt of her ceremonial dagger.
"I'll do whatever it takes."
Back in Aerthrial – Selene's Study
Selene sat by candlelight, scrolling through ancient texts she wasn't supposed to have.
Her cousin Lira Valeburne paced nearby, worry etching her usually gentle face.
"Selene," Lira whispered, "you're pushing yourself too hard."
Selene's crimson eyes didn't leave the page.
"I have to."
Lira's Confession
Lira hesitated.
"…Do you remember when we were children?" she whispered, her voice softer than usual. "I used to think you were lucky."
Selene looked up.
"Lucky?"
Lira nodded, eyes shimmering.
"You had power. Beauty. A future carved out for you."
She paused, voice breaking slightly.
"But now I see it. The power isn't a gift. It's a chain."
Selene's lips parted—but before she could reply, she reached out suddenly, gripping the edge of the desk.
A pulse of ancient magic surged through her.
Her vision blurred.
A New Memory
This time, the vision wasn't of the battlefield.
It was a wedding.
Her wedding.
Selene saw herself in another life, wearing crimson silk beneath a snow-covered sky. Lucien stood across from her, golden eyes soft—not hard like now.
They were happy.
For a single moment, the cycle had allowed that.
Then, something shattered the scene—
A shadow. A blade. Blood across the snow.
Back to the Present
Selene gasped, clutching her chest.
Lira caught her before she fell.
"Selene!"
Lucien's Experience
At the same moment, across the city, Lucien collapsed during sword training.
Alaric Thorne rushed to his side, catching his friend before he hit the ground.
"Lucien!"
But Lucien wasn't seeing the training hall anymore.
He was seeing the same wedding.The same death.
A Shared Past
Through the bond, Lucien and Selene heard the same words in unison:
"This time, love is not enough."
A Storm Approaches
When Selene came to, she sat upright in her bed, breath shallow.
Lira knelt beside her, wiping cold sweat from her forehead.
"Selene… what did you see?"
Selene's crimson eyes stared at the ceiling.
"The last time we tried to love each other, we died."
In the Shadows – Evelyne's Next Move
Back in the Eastern sanctuary, Evelyne sealed the Blood Moon Pact with a drop of her own blood.
The mirror whispered once more.
"Then let the next phase begin."
"Tear them apart, and you will control the throne."
Evelyne's smile deepened.
"Consider it done."