THE CHOOSEN ONES

The clock had just struck 10:30 PM when I slipped through the window of my room, my heart pounding in my chest. The cool night air clung to my skin, but the warmth of the mansion's opulent interior did little to soothe me.

As I landed silently on the floor, I frozen. There they were—Mika and Rina, pacing back and forth like caged animals, their faces etched with worry. 

*Oh, fuck.* I had forgotten their old habit of waiting for me every time I sneaked out. 

"My Lady!" Rina's voice broke the silence as she rushed toward me, Mika close behind. I forced a nervous laugh, my voice trembling. "Sorry, I was caught up in something." 

But Mika's grip on my arms told me this wasn't about my tardiness. Her hands trembled, and her eyes were wide with fear. My stomach churned. "What happened while I was gone?" I demanded, my voice sharp. 

"His Excellency has been searching for you for the last five hours," Mika whispered, her voice barely audible. "He's furious, my lady." 

My eyes darted to Rina, and my blood ran cold. Her hands were bandaged, fresh blood seeping through the fabric. Mika's feet were wrapped too, the bandages stark against her pale skin. 

"Who did this?" My voice was low and dangerous as I stepped closer to them. Rina grabbed my hands, her touch desperate. "My Lady, please calm down. We're okay. Please don't confront His Excellency because of us." 

Tears streamed down their faces, their fear not for themselves but for me. They knew what would happen if I stood up to Father. They knew the consequences all too well. 

Memories of my past life flooded my mind—every time I made a mistake, every time Father and Mother punished those I cared about.

My maids, the knight commander who helped me sneak out—they all bore the brunt of my parents' wrath. Back then, I was powerless, a child who could only cry and beg. But my tears never moved them. They never cared. 

"Was it Mother or Father?" I asked coldly, my voice like ice. Mika and Rina exchanged glances, their silence speaking volumes. 

"It was me." 

The door to my room slammed open, and there she stood—Alancia, my younger sister, flanked by her faction of maids. Her smirk was like a dagger to my chest. I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. 

"You embarrassed the family today, Sister," Alancia said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "If it weren't for my extraordinary guidance, can you imagine how angry the Young Duke would have been?" 

I wanted to laugh. How had I ever believed her act? How had I been so naive, so blind to her manipulations?

In my past life, I had even struck a deal with the former emperor to ensure she married Kaelith. I had been a fool, and I had paid the price. 

"So, I punished your maids for their incompetence," Alancia continued, her tone innocent, as if she hadn't just admitted to harming the only people who truly cared for me. "They nearly ruined everything." 

I looked at Mika and Rina, their tear-streaked faces pleading with me to stay calm. But how could I? How could I stand by while they suffered because of me? 

In my past life, I would have lashed out, screamed at Alancia, and played right into her hands. But not this time. I had survived the Court of Ignis. I had learned to be cunning, to strike where it hurt most. 

"Alancia, follow me," I said, my voice calm but laced with steel. 

"You can't order around the Young Lady, My Lady," Ruba, Alancia's maid, sneered, stepping in front of me. 

"Then you come too," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument. 

Alancia smirked, signaling her maids to follow. She thought she had won; she thought she could manipulate me like she always had. But she was wrong. 

We walked down the grand hallway, its ornate beauty a stark contrast to the tension crackling in the air. The chandeliers cast flickering shadows on the walls, their light dancing like ghosts. At the top of the staircase, I stopped, turning to face Alancia. 

"Do you know what I told Dain today?" I asked, my voice soft, almost a whisper. 

"Why are you calling my brother by his name?" Alancia snapped, her mask slipping for a moment. 

"That I will take over the family and become the next Head of House Nyxveil after Father," I said, my eyes locking onto hers. 

Her face paled, her confidence wavering. "What do you think I'll do after becoming the matriarch?" I continued, my voice cold.

"I'll tear you apart and send you to serve as a priest in the church. Because you're nothing but an empty, useless shell, Sister." 

Alancia's composure shattered. "How dare you speak to me like this, you bitch?" she screamed, lunging at me. Her maid tried to stop her, but Alancia shoved her aside. 

"A nobody like you—no looks, no manners, a dull bitch like you—is nothing! The useless one, the abandoned one, is you, Selantia Amaris Nyxveil!" 

Her hands gripped my shoulders, and then she pushed me. Hard.

I tumbled down the stairs, my body hitting each step with a sickening thud. Pain shot through me, but I felt a strange sense of peace. This was my plan all along. 

"NOOOOO! MY LADY!" Mika and Rina's screams echoed as they rushed toward me, their faces twisted in horror. 

I saw Alancia's pale, terrified face as I rolled to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. Blood clouded my vision, but before I lost consciousness, I saw my parents standing like statues, their faces unreadable. 

*How odd,* I thought. *You could have saved me, Father, Mother. But I never expected you to.* 

My eyes flickered to the corner of the staircase, where Ezekian stood, his aura violent and chaotic. *You didn't even try to save your fiancée,* I thought bitterly. *But why would you? I'm nothing to you.* 

As darkness claimed me, I smiled. The game was far from over, but since I am wounded, I will be able to sleep, right?

I don't remember when was the last time I slept well.

That night, as I lay trembling in pain, a sudden warmth enveloped me, soft and comforting, like a blanket woven from sunlight.

It wrapped around my body, soothing the sharp edges of my agony, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I felt a flicker of peace. My breath hitched as I tried to open my eyes, but a large, gentle hand covered them, shielding me from the harshness of the world. 

Who was this? Who was using such powerful divine healing on me? The energy flowing through me was pure, radiant, and achingly familiar, yet I couldn't place it.

Had Mother and Father actually called a healer for me? It seemed unlikely, but perhaps they needed to save face to maintain the illusion of a perfect family.

I wanted to question it, to understand, but the warmth was too comforting, too inviting.

My body, tense and battered, began to relax against my will. The pain ebbed away, replaced by a sense of safety I hadn't felt in years. It was strange, almost surreal, and for a moment, I let myself drift in the sensation. 

But then it hit me—this warmth, this presence, felt eerily familiar. It reminded me of... no. I stopped myself before the thought could fully form.

I wouldn't let my mind wander there. I wouldn't make assumptions, not tonight. Not ever again. 

I exhaled slowly, letting the tension drain from my body. Sleep crept over me, heavy and insistent, pulling me into its embrace.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I didn't fight it. I didn't want to. Whether it was real or just a figment of my exhausted mind, I didn't care. All I knew was that it had been too long since I'd felt this kind of comfort, this kind of peace. 

As I drifted off, I thought I felt a faint brush against my hair—a whisper of something tender and protective.

But maybe it was just my imagination. Maybe it was just the quiet longing of a heart that had been broken too many times. Either way, I let it be. For tonight, I would rest. For tonight, I would allow myself this small, fleeting moment of solace.