The night was silent. No chirping of crickets, no rustle of leaves.
Only the distant beating of wings.
Celestine walked through the castle gardens, the moonlight reflecting off her silver hair. Since the Blood Pact ritual, something inside her had changed. The air around her felt different — heavy, almost alive.
Every step echoed as if the very world listened.
"The blood accepted me."
But deep down, she knew: it had not been a simple blessing.
---
⚜️ The Raven's Call
A caw rang out among the trees. A black raven landed on the stone balustrade, regarding her with red eyes.
She recognized it — the same raven that always accompanied Damien.
— "So he sent you to watch me?" Celestine murmured.
The raven merely tilted its head and, with a sudden movement, unfurled its wings. A feather drifted at her feet. When she touched it, an image flooded her mind: Damien kneeling before a magic circle, the same seal of the Pact carved into the floor.
What is he doing…?
Celestine closed her eyes. The blood in her veins responded with a pulse. Instinctively, she reached out — and the world around her warped.
When she opened her eyes again, she was somewhere else.
---
🌑 The Raven Ritual
A subterranean hall, full of columns and forbidden sigils. In its center, Damien stood surrounded by blue flames, his body marked with runes.
He looked up at her, surprised.
— "You managed to cross the mist. Impressive, Duchess."
Celestine scanned the runes.
— "You're summoning something. What kind of magic is this?"
Damien smiled faintly, though he seemed weakened.
— "It's not a summoning. It's a liberation."
The floor trembled. From the shadows, dozens of ravens materialized, spiraling around him. The sound of beating wings was deafening.
— "The blood answered your call, Celestine," Damien said. "But the Void… answered mine."
She felt the air go cold. The ravens' feathers began to merge, shaping into a human silhouette — a figure of pure darkness with wings black as the horizon.
— "Damien… what have you done?"
— "What needed to be done." He extended his hand. "The empire fears d'Arnoir, but it fears Corvus as well. Our names were cursed together. And now, at last, our curses unite."
Celestine staggered back, her heart pounding. The figure raised its head — it had no eyes or mouth, only a void that stared back at her.
> "D'Arnoir… and Corvus… blood and shadow."
The voice echoed within her mind, cold as winter. She sank to her knees, clutching her chest.
Damien gripped her shoulders.
— "Do not resist it. You must accept it. It is the first step toward mastering what you truly are."
— "And if I refuse this destiny?" she whispered, fury in her voice.
— "Then it will consume you, as it consumed your mother."
His words cut like blades. The figure dissolved, and silence fell. Damien swayed, breathless.
Celestine rose, fixing him with a sharp gaze.
— "You're playing with forces you do not understand."
He smiled tiredly, yet composed.
— "And you are denying what you already are."
She stepped closer, her look a razor.
— "You have helped me until now, Damien… but do not be mistaken. If you try to use me, I will destroy you — even if it means embracing another curse."
Damien laughed softly.
— "That is why I like you, Celestine. Even hell would fear to betray you."
---
⚔️ Echoes of War
In the days that followed, the empire fell into turmoil. Messengers ran through the streets with reports of "anomalies" in the north — ravens gathering in flocks, towns shrouded by black mists, soldiers disappearing without a trace.
The name d'Arnoir was whispered once more in dread. For the first time, Leonhardt called an emergency military council.
He leaned over the map spread before him.
— "These mists began appearing right after the duchess's trial. This cannot be a coincidence."
Emilia, standing at his side, answered:
— "Leonhardt, you cannot act only on fear. She defended us in the council. Perhaps she is being manipulated."
He fell silent. Doubt crawled through his gaze like a slow poison.
---
🌹 Chapter Epilogue
In the d'Arnoir mansion, Celestine watched the horizon from her window. Moonlight reflected in her crimson eyes. Lira entered hesitantly.
— "Milady… there are rumors that the imperial army is mobilizing."
Celestine turned slowly.
— "Let them come."
She lifted her hand, and from somewhere distant, a raven alighted on her shoulder. Its wings spread, and the wind blew like an omen.
— "If the empire wants a villain," she murmured, "then I will give them the most feared of all."
The raven cawed, and the darkness seemed to answer.
> "The blood has awakened.
The wings have unfurled.
The story has only just begun."