Reina slipped back into the dark lord's fortress, the echo of clashing steel and the scent of training sweat filling the great hall. Solomon, Henry, and Damian were locked in fierce drills beneath the dark lord's watchful gaze, while Nahar and Ariel tended a simmering cauldron, preparing the evening feast.
Ariel caught sight of her and called out, "Where have you wandered off to all day?"
"I sought solitude for a while. Is that a problem?" Reina replied.
"No," Ariel said sharply, clearly unwilling to pursue the question.
From across the hall, the dark lord heard the untruth in Reina's voice. He knew well that the path ahead would be smoother if the twins remained ignorant of the truths unfolding around them. Yet he couldn't help but find amusement in Reina's belief that her thoughts were hidden from him, unaware that he could read her intentions as clearly as an open book.
Two hours later, the men burst into the hall, drawn by the smell of their meal and the promise of rest.
"Easy, my love," Ariel murmured as Henry nearly collapsed into her embrace. Exhausted and starving, he wanted nothing more than to melt into her arms and be doted on like a child after the day's brutal training.
Nahar let out a surprised laugh when Solomon dropped his full weight into her lap. "Oh—hey!" she exclaimed, wide-eyed. She couldn't believe how easily he clung to her now, as if marriage had flipped some hidden switch that turned her fierce warrior into a needy, affectionate boy. Shocked or not, she held him close - he was hers, after all.
Reina claimed fatigue and said she needed a moment to rest before heading out again. In truth, she wanted to avoid Damian entirely; the idea of him attempting the same clingy display made her stomach twist. And Damian noticed. He'd sensed her distant behavior for days, a subtle shift that set his instincts on edge.
The moment he stepped away from training with Solomon and Henry, only one thought echoed in his mind:
he needed to uncover what she was hiding.
Four days passed beneath a sky heavy with storm-colored clouds, and the dark lord's castle trembled with the force of battle. Solomon and Henry trained tirelessly under the dark lord's command each session a trial by fire. Their blades sparked like lightning, their minds honed through illusions, enchantments, and brutal hand-to-hand combat. Every strike pushed them deeper into the realm where warriors became legends.
Damian, however, spent those days in silence and shadows, keeping a watchful eye on Reina. Something in her aura had shifted cold, secretive, restless and his instincts refused to let it go.
One night, Reina slipped away into the castle's forgotten wing, a place swallowed by dust and ancient runes. At its heart lay a smooth black stone set into the floor, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat. She knelt, pressed her palm to it, and the surface rippled as Daniel's spectral form appeared within the stone's glow.
Their whispered plotting twisted through the chamber. Daniel's voice turned sharp as steel as he gave the final command: she was to poison the twins that night, avoiding open battle and snuffing out their lives quickly.
Hidden behind crumbling stone, Damian felt the world tilt. Betrayal struck him harder than any blade. He turned to run urgent, desperate, determined to reach Solomon and Henry
but stopped dead.
Reina stood before him.
Or rather, something wearing her face.
Her eyes gleamed with unnatural calm as she blocked the only exit.
"Hello, love," Damian forced out, trying to steady his breath.
"Aww… you weren't supposed to witness that," the double said, voice dripping with amusement.
Before he could react, she released a cloud of shimmering dust enchanted, potent. It hit him like a wave, and the world went dark as he collapsed to the cold stone floor.
From the summoning stone, Daniel's voice echoed, weary and stern.
"Do not kill him. He poses no danger. I've spilled enough of my own blood. The twins must die—but leave Damian."
Reina clicked her tongue, irritated.
"Fine… ugh. I'll just toss him somewhere far from here."
Her shadow stretched across Damian's motionless form as she prepared to drag him away, the castle's ancient magic whispering around her like a warning of the storm yet to come.