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Episode 1

Monsters were stomping all around, and some deadly monster species were swooping all over the castle. Slowly, a dark cloud engulfed the whole moon. Wails could be heard from all directions. It appeared to be an enjoyable game of devastation.

Within the castle, a girl sat on the ground, cradling a man in her arms. Her terror was palpable as she urgently questioned him, her voice tinged with worry.

"Who poisoned you, Francis? What happened to Camilla?"

Her tone betrayed the depth of her distress.

Her hands, which had never trembled before, now shook uncontrollably. Helpless to save her dying friend.

She, Adela Virginia, Duke Alfred's daughter, a formidable magician, found herself powerless.

And she was also the cause of it all. She hadn't intended for this. She had asked Francis, her friend, to stand with her, but he had followed his duty as a Marquis, defending the borders tirelessly.

'Ad-ela.'

Francis tried to speak, but the words struggled to leave his lips. Yet, she restrained herself from unleashing her power, holding back the tide of devastation.

Howls...

Echoes of monstrous howls seeped in from outside.

Francis struggled to form words, but they were incomprehensible.

"D-on't d-o-th-is."

Adela, driven by shock, pressed for the name of the poisoner, her voice quivering.

"Francis, tell me."

But Francis had slipped away in her lap. Adela's efforts to revive him were futile.

"Francis."

Her voice quavered, her eyes widened, and the weight of his death sunk in. The reality of facing the lifeless body of a loved one was alien to her. Even when her parents were assassinated, she had avoided the funeral.

Adela trembled, a profound sense of loneliness descending. Desperation clawed at her as she rose, a chilling fear enveloping her.

She directed her serpent to stay with Francis and ventured inside to find Camilla.

"Camilla."

Adela's voice resonated through the room as she swung open the bedroom door. Yet, Camilla was nowhere to be found. She couldn't bear losing another friend, not after losing Francis. She needed to save Camilla at all costs.

"Camilla, where are you?"

But before she could utter Camilla's name again, a sudden, sharp pain pierced her back. A force pushed her down as she turned to see her attacker. Adela squinted, recognizing the magical essence of the dagger and struggling to focus on the assailant's face.

"Wh-."

Adela tried to summon her snake, but the attacker swiftly kicked her hand away. Breathless and dizzy, Adela's vision blurred.

As she heard a female voice, confusion and agony twisted within her.

"Adela, I hate you. When we met, I wished I could kill you."

Adela's mouth gaped open, "Why? Who are you?"

Her voice weakened, yet the sight of Adela's suffering stirred amusement in the attacker.

"By killing you, I help the prince," the attacker sneered. "He'll kill you eventually, today or tomorrow."

**

Adela lay sprawled on the marble floor, reckoning with her impending death, monsters' howls intensifying. If she died now, her creatures would vanish. But it wasn't happening. Why?

A cough brought forth blood from her lips. Crawling toward the window, Adela struggled to stand, her eyes casting a desperate gaze downward. Her creatures, once loyal to her, now bowed to a cloaked figure, the same one who had attacked her.

Regret and anger surged within Adela. She couldn't make things right. But why? She had supported the prince against the emperor's bias toward his first son, a lack of justice that had also plagued her parents' deaths.

So why did the prince want her dead? When she was indirectly aiding him. She sought justice for her parents, nothing more.

As Adela collapsed, her gaze fixed on the sky. Her tears mingled with the ashes of destruction around her. She had caused the deaths of countless innocents. The agony of her impending death engulfed her. Trembling, she whispered, biting her lip.

"God, forgive my sins for taking innocent lives. I didn't expect a coward's hand in my end. I wanted a confrontation, a chance to make amends. I wouldn't hurt my friends, take innocent lives, or be my father's wicked legacy."

Gradually, a strange calm fell over her, darkness drawing her in. She closed her eyes in agony, and finally, death descended upon her.


Hello, everyone. I'm excited to introduce my new story. It's a dark romance. If you're intrigued, please check it out. Thank you!

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