SILVER'S POV
The shrill cry of my alarm dragged me out of sleep.
I blinked at the pale morning light filtering through the curtains and allowed myself a small smile. For the first time in weeks, my chest felt light. No rushing. No deadlines. No suffocating pressure hanging over my head like a storm cloud waiting to burst.
We were officially on a three-week holiday.
Most importantly, there would be no more of Sir Belema and his endless, soul-draining lectures.
Just the thought of biomedical statistics was enough to make my stomach tighten. I had sacrificed too many sleepless nights preparing for that exam, memorizing formulas until my vision blurred and numbers haunted my dreams. Yet, when the questions finally appeared before me, they were almost laughably familiar.
Everything I studied came out.
For once, luck had chosen my side.
I slipped out of bed, brushed my teeth, and took a long shower, letting the cold water wash away the exhaustion that still clung to my body. Afterwards, I stood before the mirror, brushing my long hair carefully before dressing up. A little makeup helped conceal the shadows beneath my eyes, though not completely.
After breakfast, I headed downstairs, then paused at the door.
Silence wrapped around the house.
I frowned slightly, suddenly unsure of where I was even going. All I knew was that I needed to get out. The walls felt too close, the air too heavy. I needed space to breathe... to clear my head before my thoughts consumed me again.
Visiting Benita was out of the question. She was probably with Ray.
Those two had become inseparable lately. Honestly, I wished they would just admit whatever existed between them and start dating already.
Hannah was worse. She had vanished on a mysterious two-week vacation to God-knows-where without giving any proper explanation.
A strange emptiness settled inside me.
Then an idea surfaced.
The library.
Maybe burying myself in research would distract me from the restless feeling clawing at the corners of my mind.
The walk there took barely five minutes, yet the atmosphere shifted the moment I arrived. The towering building stood unnaturally quiet beneath the gray sky, its dark glass windows reflecting distorted shadows that made my skin prickle for reasons I couldn't explain.
I ignored the unease and headed for the e-library section on the third floor.
The place was nearly empty.
Too empty.
My footsteps echoed softly as I walked between rows of silent computers. The fluorescent lights above flickered once... then steadied.
I pulled out a chair, sat in front of one of the computers, and logged in.
Somehow, the silence around me suddenly felt alive.
I stared blankly at the glowing screen, my fingers frozen above the keyboard.
This was a bad idea.
A very bad idea.
I wanted to investigate Zoah and Uncle Charles, to uncover who they truly were beneath the lies, secrets, and carefully crafted masks, but I had no idea where to begin. Every lead dissolved into uncertainty before it could even take shape.
The deeper I thought about it, the more impossible the task seemed.
A frustrated sigh escaped my lips as I leaned back in the chair, rubbing my temples slowly. Maybe this was pointless. Maybe I was chasing shadows that were never meant to be caught.
Hiring professionals suddenly seemed like the smarter option.
People trained to dig through hidden records, buried histories, and dangerous secrets.
But there was one problem.
Money.
I barely had enough to survive the holiday, let alone pay investigators.
Then my thoughts drifted toward the ring.
The strange ring the mysterious dragon had given me.
A cold shiver crawled down my spine at the memory.
I had planned to sell it before, but something always stopped me.
Fear... curiosity... instinct. I didn't know.
The ring felt wrong somehow, as though it carried a darkness far older than I could understand.
Still, if it was valuable, selling it could solve everything.
I could finally afford the background checks.
A faint smile tugged at my lips.
That might actually work.
"Hi."
The sudden voice sliced through my thoughts.
I stiffened and turned sharply.
An unfamiliar girl stood beside me, smiling warmly as though we were already friends.
There was nothing particularly strange about her appearance, yet something about the way she stared at me made my chest tighten slightly.
"Hello," I replied cautiously.
"I'm new around here," she said casually, slipping into the seat beside me without invitation. "I was bored at home, so I came here to pass time."
"Okay," I answered shortly, hoping the conversation would end there.
It didn't.
"My name is Lydia," she continued with another smile that lingered just a little too long. "And you are...?"
"Silver," I replied.
Her smile widened instantly.
"You're so beautiful," she said.
Heat rose to my cheeks, and I looked away briefly, embarrassed by the sudden compliment.
Then her expression shifted into curiosity.
"Why do you look incredibly familiar?" she asked.
I shrugged lightly. "I get that a lot."
Her eyes suddenly lit up with recognition.
"Wait… you must be the girl involved with Herb B's champion — Zoah."
A smile crept onto my lips before I could stop it.
So people were already talking.
Of course they were.
Zoah had become something close to a legend after the competition, and standing beside him had unintentionally dragged me into the spotlight as well. I could already imagine the whispers, the stares, the envy hidden behind forced smiles.
"You're one lucky lady," Lydia continued, leaning closer.
"Being around someone with skills like his… that's rare."
I tried not to look too pleased, but pride still curled warmly inside my chest.
"I'm curious," she said carefully. "What exactly is your relationship with him?"
My smile faded slightly.
The question lingered between us.
Lydia's expression immediately softened. "Sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't mean to pry. Forget I asked. We can talk about something else."
I studied her face for a moment.
There was no mockery there.
No hidden malice. Just genuine curiosity.
I relaxed a little.
"Actually," I admitted, "Zoah and I are just casual friends."
"Just friends?" she repeated, sounding almost unconvinced. "He's ridiculously handsome. Don't tell me you've never thought about dating him."
A laugh escaped me.
"I'm working on it," I replied with a grin.
Lydia burst into laughter.
"Then work faster, girl," she teased. "I can already picture the two of you together. Honestly, you're unbelievably lucky."
I smiled again, warmth spreading through me.
Somehow, within the space of a few hours, talking to Lydia had become strangely easy. Natural. Like we had known each other far longer than we actually had. For a brief moment, I even imagined introducing her to Benita and Hannah someday.
The conversation drifted from one topic to another effortlessly. We talked about life, school, relationships, random memories, and things that made us laugh harder than they should have.
I eventually learned she was twenty-five.
That shocked me.
She looked much younger almost unreal in a way I couldn't properly explain.
Hours slipped by so quickly that I completely forgot why I had come to the library in the first place.
By the time I returned home, exhaustion weighed heavily on my body.
I collapsed onto my bed without even changing out of my clothes. My eyes burned from fatigue, yet the moment sleep claimed me, I slipped once again into that familiar, haunting rhythm.
And then I saw her.
The little girl.
Standing beside the endless ocean.
Waiting for me.
*. *. *
VIOLET'S POV
The hourglass began to glow, its crimson light spreading through the dark chamber like bleeding fire. Instantly, I knew Lydia was trying to reach me.
I stepped toward the communication glass and pressed my palm against its cold surface, channeling my power into it. The spell resisted at first, draining energy from me with ruthless hunger, but I forced more magic through until the glass finally awakened.
Pain twisted through my body.
Then Lydia's face appeared.
"My most honored lady." She lowered her head respectfully.
"Speak," I commanded, my voice sharp enough to cut steel.
"There is progress. Zoah has obtained two of the herbs."
A slow smile curved across my lips. Good. Very good.
Every herb brought me closer to freedom… closer to being cured.
"Anything else?" I asked.
Lydia hesitated.
The silence alone was enough to darken my mood.
"There is… a lady involved."
For a second, the room seemed to freeze.
Jealousy crawled beneath my skin like poison.
"They are not together," Lydia quickly added, "but she could become a threat."
A dangerous calm settled over me.
Zoah was mine.
Mine alone.
No mortal woman, goddess, or creature breathing beneath the heavens had the right to stand beside him.
"She needs to be eliminated," I said coldly.
Lydia shook her head carefully. "Not yet. She is useful. She has been helping Zoah locate the herbs. Once the remaining three are secured…" A faint, cruel smile touched her lips. "Then I will dispose of her."
I leaned back slowly, my fingers tightening against the arm of my throne.
"Keep watching her," I ordered. "Find every weakness she possesses. I want information capable of destroying her completely."
"As you wish, my lady."
The communication ended, and the chamber fell silent once more.
But the darkness inside me only grew louder.
Who dared to flirt with Zoah?
I was Violet, Princess of Hell.
People feared my name in whispers. Kingdoms burned because of my anger. Souls begged for mercy at my feet.
And I hated sharing.
Especially when it came to Zoah.
There could only be one woman in his life.
Me.
This foolish rival had unknowingly signed her own death sentence. Death alone would be too merciful for her. No… I would make her suffer first. I would tear apart every ounce of happiness she possessed until she begged the shadows to swallow her whole.
Then, and only then, would she understand the price of reaching for what belonged to me.