Every laugh that echoed through the opulent hall sounded like a lie, and every smile directed her way felt like the sharp edge of a knife.
Celine Valeria held her wine glass steady, but her fingers were cold against the stem. She had sat through countless feasts like this before, yet now, every detail felt sharper, crueler, and drenched in meaning. The chandeliers above cast warm light over velvet drapes, polished marble floors, and nobles dressed in silks so bright they looked unreal. But to her, all of it was painted over with the memory of betrayal.
The laughter grated on her ears, no longer innocent. The smiles were false, masks stretched over greed and ambition. And she—reborn and trapped in her engagement banquet once again—was forced to play her part.
She sipped her wine, though every swallow brought back the ghost of poison on her tongue.
A noblewoman approached with a sweet greeting, bowing low before Celine. Her compliments were endless: her beauty, her fortune, her future as the bride of the beloved prince. Celine smiled, nodding gracefully, but behind her smile she remembered that same noblewoman whispering slanders in her last life, abandoning her the moment power shifted.
The memories were a cage, and every moment in this hall tightened the bars.
Her eyes drifted to the far wall where a tapestry hung—golden thread woven into the image of a phoenix rising from flames. She had once admired it as a symbol of rebirth and hope. Now, the sight of it brought back the night of her coronation banquet. That same tapestry had hung behind her throne when the poison burned through her veins. She remembered gasping for air while courtiers stared with wide eyes, not one moving to save her.
Her grip on her glass tightened until her knuckles turned white.
She looked away, and her gaze landed on Dorian. He was laughing with an older duke, his voice carrying easily across the hall. When his hand lifted in a casual gesture, the light caught the gold signet ring on his finger—a ring she had kissed in loyalty, a ring he had pressed against her hand the night he swore false promises of eternal love.
That ring had been the last thing she saw before her world went dark.
Her stomach turned, but her face betrayed nothing. She forced her lips into another polite smile as yet another guest approached, praising her grace.
"Celine!"
The voice that called her name was bright, sweet, and painfully familiar.
Seraphina.
Her younger sister glided through the crowd like a delicate flower, dressed in pale pink that matched the blush on her cheeks. Her eyes were wide with innocence, her smile soft as she reached for Celine's hands. To the watching nobles, it was the perfect picture of sisterly devotion.
Celine's lips curved, but the smile never reached her eyes. She let Seraphina's hands clasp hers, though the touch felt like iron shackles.
"You look so radiant tonight, sister," Seraphina whispered, her voice trembling with rehearsed emotion. "I'm so happy for you. Truly."
In her past life, those words would have warmed her heart. She would have hugged her sister, thanked her for standing by her side.
But tonight, those words rang hollow.
Celine returned the embrace, her arms wrapping around Seraphina's slender frame. To the crowd, it was the picture of love. But in Celine's mind, she felt the ghost of a dagger sliding between her ribs, the echo of betrayal sharper than any blade.
"Thank you, Seraphina," Celine whispered back, her tone light. "Your support means everything to me."
Seraphina pulled back with a glowing smile, her eyes glistening as if on the verge of tears. The crowd murmured with approval at the sight, charmed by their bond.
Only Celine knew better.
The music swelled, and the feast dragged on. Course after course was served—rich meats, honeyed fruits, spiced wines. Celine barely touched her plate. Every sound, every sight, every flavor brought with it another shard of memory. She remembered the way these same nobles had laughed when she begged for loyalty. She remembered the taste of this very wine when her vision blurred. She remembered Seraphina's hand in Dorian's when they thought her gone.
And still, she smiled.
Still, she played her part.
Her hands trembled once, only once, and she steadied herself by gripping her glass harder. She imagined it was their throats she held.
At last, when the laughter grew unbearable and the walls seemed to close in, Celine rose gracefully from her chair. A few courtiers looked up, but she waved them off with a soft smile. "The air in here is warm. I'll only be a moment."
She slipped through the crowd, weaving past curious eyes, her smile never faltering. But as soon as she stepped onto the balcony, the mask cracked.
The night air was cold, biting against her flushed cheeks. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the chill burn through her chest. The stars stretched above, endless and indifferent, while the moonlight washed the gardens below in silver.
Here, away from the noise, the truth settled over her.
She had died once. She had been betrayed once. And now, fate had returned her to the start.
Her hands gripped the railing tightly, knuckles pale under the moonlight. The fear that had followed her all night gave way to something harder, sharper.
Resolve.
If her life had been reset, then she would not waste it. She would not repeat her mistakes.
And she knew where to begin.
Adrian Voss.
The name cut through her thoughts like a blade. In her last life, his fate had been tangled in hers, though she had never understood the full scope until it was too late. She remembered his cold eyes watching from the shadows, his silence when others mocked her. She remembered hearing his name whispered in the dark after her fall, his role in the storm that swept the kingdom apart.
This time, she would not ignore him.
This time, she would find him first.
The wind tugged at her hair as she lifted her chin, her eyes cold as the night sky.
The banquet behind her roared with laughter and lies, but out here, alone under the stars, Celine made her first vow of action.
Adrian Voss was the first thread she would re-weave.
And with it, she would begin to change everything.