Sebastian
The grand hall of Ravenscroft Manor glittered under the chandeliers, every surface polished to reflect power, wealth, and legacy. Yet, despite the splendor, my chest felt impossibly heavy. I had welcomed my mother, Mrs. Helena Ravenscroft, and my father, Mr. Ravenscroft, alongside Juliet, into this room—but my mind was elsewhere.
Since the moment Vivian Ravenscroft's name was confirmed as the first daughter for the Winter Ascension, I had been shaking internally. Not visibly—Sebastian Ravenscroft never betrayed fear, uncertainty, or desire—but inside, a war raged.
I will not stand… see any man choose my destiny…
I forced calm into my voice, my hands clasped behind my back. Every step I took, every word I uttered, carried the storm I refused to show openly.
"Mother," I began, voice steady, controlled, "I have been speaking to the Council ever since I returned home—regarding replacing Juliet with Vivian for this rite."
I glanced at Juliet. My blood sister sat in the corner, hands clutching her dress, shoulders shaking. Quiet sobs betrayed the turmoil inside her—abandoned, rejected, left out of a legacy that should have been hers.
"The Council must do something," I continued, trying to steady myself. "Juliet is the true first daughter of Ravenscroft—not Vivian."
My father's brows lifted. "Yes… you're right, Sebastian. But can we go against tradition? This is Valenridge. Tradition binds stronger than gold or blood. Vivian has been chosen officially. She will go , yes she will
"
I froze, my pulse hammering. Vivian… chosen over Juliet. Over my own sister. Over the girl whose tears I had ignored too long.
Mrs. Ravenscroft leaned back, a smirk hiding behind her composed elegance. "Vivian going for the rite will be a blessing, for all of us" she said deliberately. "She is my daughter, yes—but Sebastian here has chosen Cynthia. My prayers for my daughter, Vivian, are that God will place a good man to choose her."
Juliet's crying escalated. Mrs. Ravenscroft gently held her, murmuring softly, but the sobs only grew louder.
"Who is Cynthia?" Juliet snapped, sharp, trembling, bitter.
Mr. Ravenscroft's eyes hardened. "Your sister-in-law to be, Juliet. mocking Sebastian's restraint."
I felt my body stiffen, controlled only by the tightness in my jaw.
Juliet's voice broke through again, rising, raw with pain:
"Ever since I came back… no one loves me! I've been neglected! Abandoned! Everything… Vivian! Vivian took it all! Vivian got sick! A mansion was bought to compensate her… and now—now my right to appear at the Ascension is being stolen!"
The room fell silent. Even my father shifted uneasily.
Mrs. Ravenscroft's voice cut through, smooth but sharp: "Juliet… where is the love I see now, giving my right away?"
Her words barely reached my sister. Juliet's sobs were guttural, full of anguish.
"I must be the one to appear for the Ascension! Not Vivian!"
The tense silence shattered with a phone vibrating on the table.
Mrs. Ravenscroft's eyes lit up. She whispered, almost reverently, "Vivian…" A smile flickered across her lips. She picked up the phone, delicate fingers brushing the screen.
"Hope your journey was smooth, mother?" Vivian's voice came, calm, serene.
"Yes," Mrs. Ravenscroft answered softly. She handed the phone to my father. A rare smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he greeted her.
Juliet watched, wide-eyed, suspicion and hurt mirrored on her face.
The phone finally reached me. I swallowed hard. My heart pounded painfully.
"How are you, my little angel?" I asked, keeping my voice as steady as I could.
"I'm good," Vivian replied, calm as ever. "Preparing for the Ascension. Taking the first flight tomorrow."
A heavy silence settled. My hands gripped the phone, tight enough to leave marks.
"But… you said Juliet would replace you," I murmured, voice thick.
"Yes," she said lightly, steel threading through her soft tone. "But the Council declined."
Juliet's sobs punctuated the pause behind me.
"Don't worry. Juliet will stand by me, and both of us will appear," Vivian continued. "The first daughters of Ravenscroft, together."
I froze. Both? Together? How?
Juliet, tears streaking her face, snatched the phone from my hands.
"Vivian!" she screamed, voice sharp, trembling with every word. "I have been abandoned because of you! No one loves me! No one cares for me! Everything is… you!"
The raw pain, anger, jealousy, and longing cut through the room like knives.
Vivian answered softly, calm yet firm: "Juliet… it is never both of our faults. The Council chose me. I did not choose myself."
Juliet's cries turned desperate, almost violent.
"Please… could you just stay back? Leave the Ascension for me! It is my right!"
Vivian's voice softened even more, a balm on the ragged edges of Juliet's fury:
"Juliet… if you feel unloved… consider going back to your mother, Elara. Go where you can feel safe and cherished."
Juliet froze, disbelief flashing across her features. Her eyes darted toward Mrs. Ravenscroft, whose gaze sparkled with something dangerous—triumphant, amused, satisfied.
The weight of the moment pressed down on me. Here was my sister—broken, screaming, begging for a place she believed was stolen from her. And Vivian… untouchable, composed, her voice carrying authority without cruelty, delivering judgment and mercy in a single breath.
I sank slowly into my seat, the phone slipping from my fingers. Powerless. Vulnerable. A first in my life. I realized then that no matter what I chose—silence or rebellion—someone I loved would bleed for it.
Juliet's sobs continued, sharp and unforgiving. Somewhere beneath them, I could feel the strategy forming, tightening like a noose. Vivian would appear. Juliet would break. The Winter Ascension would proceed exactly as Valenridge intended.
And I… I would be forced to watch, to endure, to face choices I had spent my entire life avoiding.
The line went silent.
And in that silence, my chest tightened. My mind raced. My heart… shattered and soared all at once.
The Winter Ascension was no longer merely a ceremony—it was a battlefield of love, legacy, and power.
And the first move had already been made.
And the Winter Ascension had just become the bbattlefieldbattlefi