The air crackled with tension. I stood at the center of the grand hall, its walls echoing the whispers of betrayal that still lingered like ghosts refusing to fade.
Celeste knelt before me, blood staining her hands. Not hers — mine. My past. My pain. My truth.
"I never meant to hurt you," she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her perfect facade shattered, revealing the broken woman beneath.
I stared at her. Silent. Calculating.
A moment passed before I spoke. "You knew he was going to kill me that night. You watched it happen."
She flinched. The silence stretched between us like a blade, sharp and cold.
From the shadows, Kai emerged. His eyes were fire — not because of rage, but because he finally knew. Everything.
"You lied to me, Celeste," he growled. "You lied for years."
Celeste crumbled under his voice. "I did it for him. For Aarav."
And there it was. The name.
Aarav.
The man who claimed to love me in my past life. The man who sealed my fate with a kiss and a dagger.
Now, he was Ravian. The king of masks. The god of manipulation. And standing behind him... Kray.
Kray, who had once saved me, now wore Ravian's crest on his ring. The ultimate betrayal.
"You're pregnant," Ravian said, stepping into the light. "And you're not sure whose it is, are you?"
My breath hitched.
He knew.
"You think I can't smell the fear, Nyra? Or the confusion? You think your body doesn't remember mine?"
I wanted to scream. To rip the smug grin off his face. But I stood tall.
"This child will never belong to your legacy," I spat.
Ravian chuckled. "Oh, sweetheart, everything you carry is mine — even your revenge."
Behind me, Leo moved. Not towards me — towards Celeste. He lifted her up gently, brushing blood from her cheek.
"You deserve better," he whispered.
Celeste stared at him. "Why? After everything I did?"
"Because unlike him... I know what it means to lose you."
My chest tightened.
Everything was falling apart.
And yet, for the first time, I had power.
True power.
Because this time — I had me.
To be continued...