Pain.
It throbbed through her body like a dull, unrelenting drum.
Lyra's breath was shallow, her vision flickering between clarity and darkness.
Her wrists ached from the tight restraints binding them to the cold, stone chair.
The royal interrogation chamber.
The air was thick with the scent of old blood and damp stone—a place where secrets were meant to be ripped from the lips of prisoners.
Across from her stood Aldric, the Head Knight of Eldoria.
His golden armour gleamed under the dim torchlight, a stark contrast to his sharp, cold expression.
Around him, several royal guards stood at attention, their hands resting on the hilts of their weapons, waiting for an order.
But Lyra said nothing.
She had remained silent ever since they had dragged her in.
And she would not break now.
No matter how much her body screamed.
Aldric took a slow step forward.
"You were found bleeding in the royal archives, Lyra," he said.
His voice was calm. Controlled.
But there was an edge beneath it.
A warning.
"Tell me. What were you looking for?"
Lyra didn't respond.
Aldric's eyes narrowed.
He exhaled through his nose before speaking again.
"You already know what happens to spies, don't you?"
Lyra smirked, despite the pain lacing her body. "Then kill me."
A flicker of irritation crossed Aldric's face.
"You are a fool."
He turned slightly, addressing the guards.
"She refuses to speak. And we cannot afford unnecessary risks." He lifted a gauntleted hand. "End her."
The guards drew their swords.
Lyra braced herself.
She was not afraid of death.
But just as the steel was about to fall—
The air shifted.
And then—
A voice.
Soft. Cold. Amused.
"Now, that's no way to treat a guest."
In an instant, the torches flickered violently, casting wild shadows across the walls.
The guards hesitated, gripping their weapons tighter.
Aldric turned sharply, eyes scanning the room.
Lyra, through her hazy vision, saw a figure step forward.
A girl.
Clad in a dark cloak, her face partially obscured.
But beneath the hood, Lyra caught a glimpse of something unsettling.
A smile.
And silver eyes that gleamed like a predator's.
The girl tilted her head slightly.
"How inconvenient," she mused, her tone almost playful. "You're about to throw away something quite valuable."
Aldric tensed, stepping in front of Lyra. "Who are you?"
The girl didn't answer.
Instead—
She raised a hand.
And the shadows moved.
The torches died instantly.
Darkness swallowed the chamber whole.
A whisper of steel cut through the air.
Then—
Screams.
Lyra's senses reeled as she heard armour clashing, blades meeting nothing but empty air, and bodies hitting the ground.
The guards were being cut down.
And they couldn't even see their attacker.
Aldric roared, his sword flaring with golden energy, slicing through the shadows.
But the girl only laughed.
"Now, now. You'll have to do better than that."
Then—Lyra felt something snap around her wrists.
Her restraints vanished.
She collapsed forward, barely catching herself.
A hand caught her arm.
The girl's voice whispered in her ear.
"Let's go."
Before Lyra could answer, the darkness swallowed them both.
And just like that—
They were gone.
* * * * *
The torches went out.
The smell of blood lingered in the air.
And the silence that followed was far worse than any battlefield.
Aldric's grip on his sword tightened as his golden aura flickered weakly, struggling to illuminate the void of darkness that had swallowed the chamber.
His men—his knights—had been cut down in seconds.
And he had seen nothing.
Not the blades.
Not the movements.
Not even the attacker.
Damn it.
He took a slow breath, calming his racing heart.
The moment the shadows retreated, he would strike.
But then—
A voice.
Soft. Cold. Mocking.
"Oh dear… You really thought you stood a chance?"
Aldric turned sharply toward the source.
And suddenly—
The torches flared back to life.
The room was visible again.
But—
Lyra was gone.
The cloaked girl stood a few feet away, near the chamber's entrance.
She had her back to him, but he could see it—
The way her shoulders trembled slightly.
Not in fear.
But in amusement.
She's toying with us.
Aldric stepped forward, sword raised. "Who are you?"
The girl tilted her head slightly. "Does it matter?"
Aldric's eyes narrowed.
This wasn't a normal assassin.
There was something wrong about her.
The way she moved. The way she controlled the darkness itself.
No—became one with it.
He took a slow step forward, voice steady. "What do you want?"
The girl chuckled.
"What do I want? Now, that's a dangerous question, isn't it?"
She turned slightly, allowing him a brief glimpse beneath the hood.
A young face—no older than Lyra.
But her silver eyes…
They shone like a beast that had just found its prey.
Aldric's instincts screamed at him.
Attack now.
Kill her before she disappears.
But before he could move—
The shadows at her feet coiled.
She sighed dramatically. "I suppose that's enough fun for today."
The darkness rose up like tendrils, twisting around her form.
Aldric lunged.
But his blade met nothing.
Only air.
And then—
She was gone.
The remaining knights were either injured, unconscious, or dead.
Aldric sheathed his sword, his expression unreadable.
A failure.
That's what this was.
A complete and utter failure.
Lyra had been their prisoner.
She had information.
And now, she was gone.
And the thing that had taken her was no ordinary enemy.
Aldric turned to the knight beside him, who was barely standing. "Gather the men. We need to report this to the king."
The knight hesitated. "Sir… who was that?"
Aldric's gaze lingered on the now empty chair where Lyra had been.
His fists clenched.
And for the first time in years—
He felt something dangerous stir in his chest.
Not anger.
Not hatred.
But unease.
Because whoever that girl was…
She wasn't human.
And that meant Eldoria had a much bigger problem.
*
*
*
Lyra's breath was shallow as she stirred awake, the scent of damp stone and something unnatural filling her lungs.
The dim glow of violet flames flickered around the unfamiliar room, casting eerie shadows against the cracked stone walls.
She recognized this place.
It was the same room she had awoken in after her near-death experience.
The same room where the Shadow had first approached her.
And now—
She was back.
A wave of nausea hit her as she tried to move, her body still weak from blood loss.
But she wasn't alone.
"You're awake."
The voice was soft—too soft for the thing it belonged to.
Lyra turned her head and saw her.
The Shadow.
But unlike before, it was no longer a formless, shifting spectre.
It was a girl.
One that looked no older than fourteen, with long obsidian hair cascading down her back and silver eyes that shimmered with something unknowable.
A smirk tugged at her lips as she sat beside Lyra, legs crossed like she had all the time in the world.
"You still haven't given me an answer."
Lyra swallowed, ignoring the sharp pain in her throat.
"An answer to what?" she muttered.
The girl tilted her head, as if disappointed.
"Don't play dumb. You know exactly what I mean."
Her silver eyes flickered, and for a brief moment, Lyra saw past the human facade—
Beneath the skin, beyond the shape, there was still something else.
Something wrong.
And it was watching her.
Lyra clenched her fists.
This thing isn't human.
It never was.
But despite that—
It was giving her a choice.
And that alone was unsettling.
The girl's gaze never wavered.
Then, she sighed dramatically.
"I suppose introductions are in order, aren't they?"
She placed a hand against her chest and smiled—a gesture so unnervingly human it made Lyra's skin crawl.
"Call me… Velis."
The name carried weight.
It wasn't her real name.
It was a gift.
A name given by the Demon Lord herself.
Lyra's stomach twisted.
This creature, this thing, had chosen a name to walk among humans.
And it had chosen to tell her.
Why?
As if sensing her thoughts, Velis leaned in slightly, eyes gleaming.
"I still want my answer, Lyra."
Lyra forced herself to meet Velis's gaze, even as a chill crawled up her spine.
"What answer?" she repeated, voice steadier this time.
Velis hummed.
"You and I both know this war is getting… interesting. The Demon Lord is having fun, which means things will only get worse from here on out."
She grinned.
"And I want to be part of it."
Lyra stiffened.
"What do you mean?"
Velis's grin widened.
"I want to join the Crimson Vow."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Lyra's breath hitched as she considered the implications.
Letting the Shadow—no, Velis—into their ranks was unthinkable. Unforgivable.
But saying no wasn't an option either.
Not when she had seen firsthand what the Demon Lord's creations were capable of.
She exhaled slowly.
"If we go back, we'll be labelled as traitors."
Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the weight of her words filled the space between them.
Velis blinked, then shrugged.
"That's fine."
Lyra frowned. "Fine? That's all you have to say?"
Velis leaned back against the stone wall, arms resting lazily behind her head.
"Everything is under control."
There was an eerie certainty in her voice, one that sent a shiver down Lyra's spine.
What had Velis done?
What was she planning?
And more importantly—
Why did it feel like Lyra had just walked into a trap?
The conversation had barely settled in Lyra's mind when Velis rose to her feet, stretching as if shaking off boredom.
"I have business to attend to."
Lyra watched her warily. "Where are you going?"
Velis gave her a lazy smile. "To finish what I started."
"And when I come back, I want my answer Lyra."
Before Lyra could protest, Velis was already gone.
*
*
*
Aldric stood rigid before the throne, his expression carved from stone. The weight of failure sat heavy on his shoulders, but his voice remained unwavering. "The prisoner was saved… by a girl no older than her."
King Edric's brows lifted slightly. "A child besting our men?" He leaned back, thoughtful. "And yet you hesitate to call her just a girl."
Aldric clenched his fists. "She's dangerous. Perhaps not even human."
The torches in the grand hall flickered. A voice, light and teasing, cut through the air. "Oh, come now. You're making me sound far too mysterious."
Velis stepped from the shadows, hands behind her back, swaying slightly as if she were strolling through a garden rather than intruding in a royal court. "Honestly, I'd expected a grander welcome. Trumpets, maybe? A little fanfare?"
Aldric's sword was unsheathed before she even took another step. "You."
King Edric stiffened, studying her. "Who in the heavens—"
Velis gasped, placing a hand over her chest. "You don't know who I am? That wounds me, truly. I thought my reputation preceded me." She pouted, then grinned. "I'm Velis. A delight to meet you, Your Majesty."
Edric's gaze hardened. "I hear you have a habit of appearing uninvited."
Velis twirled a strand of hair. "What can I say? I like making an entrance."
Aldric's jaw tightened. "State your business before I cut you down."
Velis chuckled. "Oh, Aldric. Always so grumpy. You should smile more." She tapped a finger to her lips, pretending to think. "Ah, but that's not why I'm here, is it?"
The King folded his hands together. "Then get to the point."
Velis tilted her head playfully. "Alright, alright. You forget what happened tonight. You forget Lyra. You forget the Crimson Vow."
Aldric scoffed. "And what makes you think we'd ever agree to that?"
Velis leaned in, voice dripping with amusement. "Because if you do, the Demon Lord's army will withdraw from human lands for two years."
The hall fell into stunned silence.
King Edric studied her carefully. "And if I refuse?"
Velis sighed theatrically, then flashed an innocent, almost childlike smile. "Oh, well, then there won't be a kingdom left for you to defend by sunrise."
Aldric's breath caught. For the first time, he couldn't find words.
Edric, however, leaned forward, intrigued. "Bold words for someone standing alone in my court."
Velis giggled. "Oh, Your Majesty, do you think I would come here unprepared?" She gestured toward the shadows at the edge of the room. "Go on, Aldric. Step closer. See what happens."
Aldric hesitated. He could feel it now—the presence in the darkness, the unseen eyes watching them. He took a slow step back instead.
Velis beamed. "There we go. Smart boy."
The King exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable. "You play a dangerous game."
Velis twirled once on her heel, arms spread dramatically. "It's the only kind worth playing."
A long pause. Then, finally—
King Edric nodded. "We accept."
Velis clapped her hands together, grinning. "I knew you were reasonable! This was fun. We should do it again sometime."
And with that, the shadows curled around her, swallowing her whole.
A heavy silence filled the throne room. Only when the torches steadied did King Edric and Aldric exhale, the tension lifting ever so slightly.
They had narrowly escaped death and the destruction of their kingdom.