Raelynn's chambers, once her pride and throne of power, now echoed with silence. Her guards had abandoned her, the nobles whispered of her fall, and the people no longer feared her name.
But Raelynn wasn't finished.
Through a secret passage hidden behind a heavy tapestry, she escaped into the old servant corridors. No one followed her. No one even noticed. That was her strength—knowing every inch of the palace better than anyone.
At the edge of the city, she met Varek, a former soldier stripped of honor after serving her dark orders.
"They turned against you," he muttered as she arrived.
Raelynn removed her cloak, revealing torn robes and a cold expression. "They turned soft. Elric and that girl… they have no idea what it takes to hold a crown."
"What now?" Varek asked.
"I will raise an army—not with loyalty, but with desperation," Raelynn replied. "Exiled soldiers. Broken men. Anyone hungry for power."
She looked back at the city lights. "Alina must be torn from the inside, just like I was. And Elric… he will lose everything, starting with her."
—
Meanwhile, in the royal courtyard, Elric tightened security around Alina. She sat beside him in the quiet of the evening, watching the people cheer from afar.
"She won't stop," Alina said, voice calm but certain. "Raelynn will crawl her way back if she must."
"I know," Elric said. "That's why I need you strong. This isn't just about ruling. It's survival."
Alina looked at him, her eyes soft. "You've been alone for too long, Elric. I'm not leaving. Whatever storm comes… we face it together."
They didn't know that somewhere in the shadows of the city, Raelynn was already making her move.
And far away, in a small village where no one knew her name, Lily looked up at the sky, clutching a worn piece of fabric—a piece from her daughter's old blanket.
"I'll come back for you," she whispered. "No matter what."