*******Harper
The mirror in front of me reflected a stranger.
The black gown shimmered faintly beneath the candlelight, every thread glistening like the feathers of a raven's wing. The sleeves flowed like silk shadows around my wrists, and the silver crown rested perfectly on my hair, glinting with small rubies that resembled droplets of blood.
Ellis's gifts.
The dress, the crown, and the veil—all relics of a woman I barely knew but somehow felt connected to. I adjusted the veil over my head and stared at my reflection. The gown clung to me like it had been made for me alone.
Beside me on the table lay the spellbook Ellis had given me. The black leather shimmered faintly, whispering in a language older than memory itself. I picked it up and felt a faint hum run through my skin—alive, pulsing, waiting.
For a long moment, I said nothing. Then I whispered under my breath, "Let's see if your magic still works."
I raised my hand, closing my eyes. The words came to me unbidden—like something ancient lodged deep within my soul.
> "Obscura animis, velare omnia visis, falsis luminibus decipite eos."
("Shadows of the mind, veil all who see, deceive their eyes with false light.")
A soft wind swept through the room, curling around me. The candles flickered violently. For a heartbeat, the entire room dimmed.
When I opened my eyes, the mirror no longer showed the black gown. Instead, I was dressed in deep crimson—the illusion perfectly cast. Anyone who looked at me would see a demon's attire, not a witch's.
A smirk curved my lips.
Something dark stirred in my chest—like a voice that wasn't mine. I felt it snake through me, soft and cold, and when I spoke, it wasn't just my voice. It was as if another whispered with me.
> "I am back."
My eyes darkened, pupils swallowed by black. For a fleeting second, it was like someone else stood in my skin—someone ancient and powerful.
Then a knock broke the moment.
"Lady Harper," a maid's voice came from outside the door. "The banquet has begun. Lord Kael requests your presence."
I blinked. My vision cleared, the black fading from my eyes. "Okay," I said quickly.
I waved my hand, and the spellbook vanished—concealed by magic, hidden deep within the folds of the room. The air settled again.
I took a deep breath, straightened the veil, and hummed softly to steady my nerves. My heart thudded quietly in rhythm to the tune—one that sounded oddly familiar, like a memory I hadn't lived.
Then, with a calm smile and a thousand shadows beneath it, I left my chamber.
---
****Author's POV — Witch Realm
In the Witch's Citadel, the night was quiet—too quiet. Moonlight spilled through the stained glass windows, painting the throne room in hues of violet and silver.
Ellis sat upon the steps of the dais, her expression grim, her hands trembling as they rested on her knees. Before her stood Natalie and Vaelthor, the tension between them thick enough to cut through.
Ellis exhaled slowly. "I owe you both the truth," she said softly.
Natalie crossed her arms, her jaw tight. "After what I heard earlier, I think that's the least you can give."
Vaelthor simply watched, silent but alert.
Ellis nodded, eyes distant. "When I conceived you, Natalie, I thought everything was perfect. Your father was… kind. Strong. I loved him."
Her tone faltered for a second, and the silence in the room deepened.
"But then I found out he wasn't who I thought he was," Ellis continued bitterly. "He was from the Seraphina Clan—the rival line to mine. I was furious. Betrayed. But love…" She gave a broken smile. "Love makes fools of us all."
Natalie's gaze softened slightly, but she said nothing.
"When you were born," Ellis went on, "you inherited the Seraphina bloodline entirely. Not a trace of the Raven Clan's magic appeared in you. It broke my heart. I… wanted a child who carried my legacy, someone who could bear the power of Ravenna herself."
"So you tried again," Vaelthor said quietly.
Ellis nodded. "Yes. But I was terrified. What if my second child turned out like your father again? So, in my fear and arrogance, I turned to a forbidden spell. One that required the Dance of Shadows—Ravenna's dance."
Vaelthor's brow furrowed. "You performed that ritual? While pregnant?"
"Yes." Her voice cracked. "And it was the gravest mistake of my life."
She lowered her head, eyes gleaming with memory.
"When I danced, the spirit of Ravenna appeared. She was furious. She said that by performing the dance as a married woman, I had broken her laws. As punishment, she cursed me—she said the child inside me would belong to her. Her spirit. Her powers. Her memories."
Natalie gasped. "You mean—"
Ellis nodded. "Ravenna told me that when the time came, her essence would awaken inside my child. That child would wield both witch and demon magic. But there was one condition—she must never fall in love."
The room went cold.
"I cried for days," Ellis said, voice trembling. "But I couldn't undo what was done. When I gave birth… she had a birthmark. The same as Ravenna's. Her power was immense, far beyond anything I'd ever seen."
Ellis clenched her fists. "I feared for her life. I knew what she could become, what others might do if they found out. So I took her to the human world, left her there—safe, hidden. That child…"
Her voice broke.
"…was Harper."
Natalie staggered back, her face pale. "What?" she whispered. "You mean—she's my sister?"
Ellis nodded, tears gathering in her eyes. "Yes. Harper is your sister. The daughter of Ravenna's curse."
Vaelthor's face was unreadable. "And now?"
Ellis swallowed hard. "Now I fear it's too late. If Ravenna's spirit awakens in her fully—if she completes the dance tonight—there will be chaos. The curse will come true. Blood will flood both realms."
She looked up, voice breaking. "I had forgotten about the punishment Ravenna gave me. I thought if Harper danced, she would inherit power. But if I let her continue, she'll bring ruin to us all."
Before anyone could respond, a deep, familiar voice echoed from behind them.
"Then you'd better not try to stop her," it said smoothly.
They turned—and saw Zareth step out of the shadows, his silver eyes gleaming faintly.
"If you interfere now," he said, his tone quiet but commanding, "then Harper will fall straight into whatever Kael has planned. And that, Ellis… would be far worse than the curse."
The room fell into stunned silence as Ellis stared at him—her heart pounding, torn between two impossible choices.
---
********Harper
The sound of drums echoed through the grand hall like thunder.
When I entered, every head turned. Thousands of demon eyes—gleaming red, blue, and silver—watched as I made my way down the black marble steps. My veil trailed behind me like flowing ink. To them, I was a vision in red, a perfect image of a demon bride.
But in truth, beneath the illusion, my gown shimmered blacker than midnight.
The entire hall pulsed with energy—candles flickering wildly, the music growing deeper, darker. The air was charged, heavy with something ancient.
Kael sat upon his throne at the end of the hall, his gaze fixed on me. He smiled faintly, but there was something… strained in his eyes. He looked almost dazed, as though part of him was trapped somewhere else.
I stopped at the center of the hall.
And then—I began to dance.
Every movement came effortlessly, as if my body already knew the steps. The rhythm of the drums matched the beating of my heart. My arms swayed, my body twisted in graceful, otherworldly patterns. The hall seemed to move with me—walls pulsing, torches dimming, shadows bending closer.
The demons around me watched, mesmerized. Their eyes glazed over one by one. Even Kael's expression shifted—his posture rigid, his pupils dilating as if he were slipping into a trance.
I could feel it. The magic pulsing through me. Ravenna's power, her memory, her grief—all rising like a tide.
A faint smirk touched my lips.
And then… I heard it.
A whisper, faint but unmistakable—inside my mind.
> "Dance, my child."
The torches flared blue. The drums deepened, echoing through the hall. My veil fluttered around me like wings, and I let myself go—lost to the rhythm, to the darkness, to something greater than me.
They were all watching. But none of them saw me.
They saw her.
Ravenna.
And Kael—his crimson eyes flickered once in recognition, his face contorting briefly before stilling again. He wanted to move, to speak—but he couldn't. None of them could.
Because they were all under my spell.
I stopped in the center of the hall, the final note hanging in the air.
Everyone was frozen.
And then, slowly, deliberately… I smiled.
> "Let the banquet begin."