On the fourth day in Flamehold, the Frosted Bone delegation remained stationed at Mirror Lake's South Garden. The court resolved to hold the "Alliance of Reborn Bones" seven days later at the Royal Flame Altar, where Aveline would personally ignite the oath flame, formally recognizing the Frosted Bone Clan as vassals of the Flame Monarch.
Yet that night, Illya slipped into the Soul Tower's secret chamber, leaving only six words as orders: "Seal the city. No one moves after dark."
The Soul Tower's stone walls were cold as bone. Only one person waited inside—Lucian.
He had been waiting for her a long time.
"You've finally come." He said, his expression unreadable.
"Did you know Seros is a Crescent Rift remnant?" Illya cut straight to the point.
Lucian neither nodded nor denied it: "I suspected. But it wasn't my place to say."
She scoffed: "You feared she wouldn't believe you, so you wanted me to expose him?"
A cold flash crossed Lucian's eyes: "You think I'm using you?"
"Isn't that what you're doing?" Illya's voice dropped, though a flicker of bitterness flared in her gaze.
He stepped closer, his stare intense: "Your loyalty to her—do you swear it to the crown… or to her?"
Illya spun away, but her heart jolted when he caught her wrist. That strength—she knew it too well—not the strength of a man, but of a conqueror.
Lucian leaned to her ear, voice icy: "Dare you say you've never wondered—if she'd never been queen, just a woman in your bed—would you be more loyal then?"
A faint flush colored her cheeks, but she held firm: "I'm not like you."
He smiled, lifting her chin with a finger: "You're crueler than me. When you strike, you're cleaner than I am."
Illya pulled free, hurrying toward the door, but paused at the threshold: "If you truly want to protect her, stop turning everyone into traitors."
After she left, Lucian's smile slowly faded.
"Too late," he murmured. "She's already in the heart of the poisoned flame."Poison in Royal BloodAt dawn, Aveline suddenly felt dizzy in her chamber, her vision blurring. A faint red flame mark appeared on her right palm, like a brand burning through her veins.
She knelt, struggling to summon Lucian. Fire guards didn't notice the until she collapsed on the jade steps, her flame scepter clattering from her hand.
Lucian arrived at the news, lifting her cold body. A "Soul Eater Mark" had appeared on her nape—a Crescent Rift undead poison seal.
"Who touched her?" he roared, his voice thunderous.
But no one knew then: the bone poison had been planted by Seros the night before, in the hem of his sleeve as he brushed past her during their conversation, leaving ashes of undead bone.
Unaware, she let the poison sink into her like blood threads, lurking where her flame veins converged, eroding her will.
Lucian carried her to the secret chamber, trying to purge the poisoned flame with his own spirit fire. He stripped off her royal robe, laying her bare on the fire rune altar.
"Wake up, Aveline… you are flame. You can't be swallowed." He pressed his hands to her shoulders, pouring his spirit fire into her mouth through kisses and breath.
She trembled, moaning as flames seared her body. He bit her earlobe, whispering: "Tame this poisoned flame with your last will, as you tamed me."
Her eyes fluttered open, flame pupils holding both agony and unyielding fire.
She lifted a hand to his nape, their lips and tongues tangling—taking his strength, yet suppressing the wild flame burning inside her. She pushed him down, tearing off his remaining clothes.
"I want to live… help me." She whispered. "Use all your power."
He understood her intent—to channel the fire poison out through the seal of soul union. He spread her legs, thrusting deep inside, driving harder with each stroke.
She moaned, pain and pleasure intertwining as flames erupted in her body. He gripped her wrist, clamping a fire rune bracelet around it to help push the poison down to her lower abdomen.
After several harsh thrusts, she suddenly coughed up blood—flame mixed with a black-red bone thread, which hit the ground and instantly turned to ash.
Aveline slumped back into his arms, her face as pale as death, but whispered:
"I'm still alive."Flame-Forged TrapThat night, Aveline forced herself to rise, summoning a secret council with only Lucian and Illya present.
"The poison in me comes from the Frosted Bone alliance… and the bone poison seal can only trace to Crescent Rift remnant souls." She looked at them. "I want you to kill someone tonight."
"Seros?" Lucian asked immediately.
Aveline shook her head: "No—the one behind him. Seros is just a pawn. The bone poison mark never belonged to his bloodline."
Illya's eyes sharpened: "You mean… the Bone King isn't dead?"
Aveline scoffed: "He died a century ago, but his soul lingers. Now he wants to be reborn through my flame blood."
Her gaze blazed: "I'll make him taste the poison in my flame blood—with his own hands.