episode 5

"The most dangerous thing about the truth is that once you find it... you can never go back."

The abandoned cathedral fell silent.

Only the sound of the wind echoed through the broken walls.

The hooded stranger lay motionless on the cold stone floor.

Dead.

Once again, the truth had slipped through Seraphyne's fingers.

She clenched her fists.

Eighteen hundred years.

Eighteen hundred years of waiting.

And every time she got close to an answer, something happened.

Something always stood in her way.

A shadow fell across the floor.

Seraphyne looked up.

Kael was staring at the body.

His expression unreadable.

But his eyes were sharp.

Observing everything.

Analyzing everything.

"You know something."

His voice broke the silence.

Seraphyne crossed her arms.

"And what makes you think that?"

"The fact that you came here alone."

His silver eyes met hers.

"You were expecting this person."

She hated how observant he was.

It was irritating.

Dangerous.

For a moment, neither spoke.

The tension between them grew heavier.

Then Kael sighed.

"Whoever killed this person didn't want them talking."

"Obviously."

His jaw tightened.

"You enjoy being difficult, don't you?"

A small smile appeared on Seraphyne's lips.

"Only around you."

To her surprise, Kael almost smiled.

Almost.

The expression disappeared so quickly she thought she imagined it.

Strange.

Why was she even paying attention?

This was Kael Draven.

The man she came here to destroy.

Yet the more she spoke to him...

The less he resembled the monster she remembered.

And that bothered her.

A lot.

Hours later...

The palace library.

Rows upon rows of ancient books stretched endlessly before them.

Dust covered the shelves.

Moonlight poured through the tall windows.

The library was nearly empty.

Only the sound of turning pages disturbed the silence.

Seraphyne searched through dozens of records.

Nothing.

Another book.

Nothing.

Another document.

Still nothing.

Frustration slowly built inside her.

She slammed a book shut.

"This is useless."

Across the table, Kael looked up.

"You've searched for an hour."

"I've searched for eighteen hundred years."

The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Silence followed.

Seraphyne immediately regretted speaking.

Kael studied her carefully.

"Eighteen hundred years?"

She looked away.

"Forget I said that."

But Kael didn't.

Something flickered in his eyes.

Curiosity.

Questions.

Yet surprisingly...

He didn't ask them.

Instead, he pushed another stack of documents toward her.

"Try these."

Seraphyne blinked.

"You helping me now?"

"Don't get used to it."

She rolled her eyes.

Arrogant.

Annoyingly arrogant.

Minutes passed.

Then suddenly—

Kael froze.

His gaze locked onto a particular page.

"What?"

Without speaking, he slid the document across the table.

Seraphyne grabbed it.

The paper was old.

Very old.

The date immediately caught her attention.

Eighteen hundred years ago.

The night her parents died.

Her pulse quickened.

Slowly, she began reading.

The document listed several names.

Witnesses.

Royal advisors.

Military commanders.

People present at the castle that night.

Then she saw it.

A familiar name.

Lord Valerian Noctra.

Her uncle.

Her breath caught.

Again.

And again.

His name appeared throughout the report.

More than anyone else's.

Why?

Her hands trembled slightly.

No.

There had to be another explanation.

Her uncle had raised her after her parents died.

He protected her.

He cared for her.

Didn't he?

Then why was his name everywhere?

The questions swirled inside her mind.

Before she could continue reading—

The library doors burst open.

A guard rushed inside.

Breathing heavily.

"Your Majesty!"

Kael stood immediately.

"What happened?"

"The eastern border has been attacked."

The room went silent.

Seraphyne felt a chill run down her spine.

The guard swallowed nervously.

"The attackers were vampires."

A dangerous silence followed.

Kael's expression darkened.

The air around him suddenly felt colder.

More dangerous.

Because everyone knew what this meant.

The vampire and werewolf territories had maintained peace for centuries.

A fragile peace.

One attack could destroy everything.

One attack could start a war.

And someone clearly wanted that.

Kael grabbed his sword.

"This wasn't random."

The guard nodded.

"There were survivors."

"What did they say?"

The guard hesitated.

Then answered.

"They said the attackers carried the symbol of House Noctra."

Seraphyne froze.

The symbol of her family.

Impossible.

Her heart dropped.

Someone was using her family's name.

Someone was turning her bloodline into a weapon.

Kael immediately looked at her.

Their eyes met.

For the first time...

Neither looked away.

Neither spoke.

Yet both understood the same thing.

This attack was connected to everything.

The dead stranger.

The mysterious note.

The old documents.

The mention of her uncle.

All of it.

Connected.

As Kael headed toward the exit, he suddenly stopped.

Without turning around, he said,

"If you're involved in this..."

His voice was cold.

Dangerously cold.

"I'll stop you myself."

Seraphyne's eyes narrowed.

"And if I'm not?"

For several seconds, silence filled the room.

Then Kael finally looked back.

His silver eyes softened ever so slightly.

"Then I'll help you find the person who is."

For a moment, neither moved.

Something strange passed between them.

Not trust.

Not yet.

But something close.

Then Kael left.

Leaving Seraphyne alone in the library.

Alone with the document.

Alone with the questions.

And for the first time since returning to the kingdom...

The forgotten Vampire Queen began to wonder if revenge had blinded her from seeing the truth.

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