The day of the ceremony had finally arrived.
Lumori stood inside what looked like a shallow cave, hidden a short distance away from the pack. Several people were gathered around her, Nathan among them.
She pulled out a small bottle containing a dark substance.
"A single drop of this poison is enough to stop a human heart," she said calmly, handing it over to Nathan.
A murmur rippled through the group.
"Isn't this murder?" someone asked nervously. "Won't it affect the Harmon?"
Lumori nearly rolled her eyes.
"I wouldn't call this murder," she replied dryly.
She tilted her head, her gaze sharp and dangerous.
"If someone eats spoiled food and dies from it, is that considered murder?"
The silence that followed was heavy. The explanation wasn't convincing but no one dared to challenge her.
Nathan gently tucked the little bottle into his pants. He took Lumori's hands softly planting a quick peck on the back of her palm.
He turned and headed back toward the pack.
*********
In the dressing room, Valerie was being attended to by her tailor. She studied her reflection in the mirror, taking in every detail.
"This is perfect," she murmured.
A knock echoed at the door, and the tailor went over to see who it was.
When she returned to Lumori, she said, "Alpha Leonard is at the door."
Valerie exhaled softly, forcing herself to hide the disgust settling in her gut. "Tell him I'm busy," she instructed.
But Leonard heard her perfectly. She had spoken loud enough on purpose. He had wanted to tell her he was leaving that day, but it no longer seemed worth it. Clearly, she didn't want to see him. Clearly, she didn't care at all about whatever news he had to share.
Despite the tailor's protests, he stepped inside anyway. He just wanted to talk to her one last time before leaving.
He cleared his throat. "I brought something for you."
Valerie finally turned her gaze toward him.
In his hands was a diamond necklace, crafted from real diamonds, anyone could tell it had cost a fortune.
"I brought it to you for good luck," he said, holding it out to her.
A heavy silence settled, and she hesitated, unsure whether to accept the gift or reject it completely.
Finally she took the necklace, staring at it silently for a long moment. Then, without a word, she let it fall to the floor, shattering it into pieces.
"What else?" she asked, her voice cold.
Leonard couldn't bear to stay another second. His chest tightened, a sharp ache of defeat and sorrow. He had to leave now.
He retreated, making his way back to his room.
The tailor resumed his work, carefully adjusting her outfit.Every now and then, Valerie caught him glancing at the diamonds scattered on the floor.
She cleared her throat, drawing his attention. "If you want the diamonds that badly, you can pick them up after you're done handling my outfit. I don't want any mistakes."
He nodded.
A few minutes later, Nathan entered the room.
Her face instantly lit up at the sight of him. Her heart leapt with joy, but she forced herself to calm down
"What are you doing here?" she asked, grinning from ear to ear.
"I came to wish you luck," he replied.
Valerie gestured for the tailor to leave, and he quietly gave them privacy.
Nathan pulled her into a hug, then kissed her softly on the lips.
"Before you go," he said, "I have a surprise for you."
"Really?" she asked, her cheeks flushing as if they were on fire.
Smiling, he took her hands and led her toward the hall. As they stepped inside, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a bottle of wine.
He poured the wine into a cup and handed it to her. Valerie accepted it without hesitation.
The moment she took a small sip, something inside her snapped.
Her body reacted as if it no longer belonged to her. The cup slipped from her fingers, crashing to the floor as the remaining wine splashed across the tiles.
She clutched her throat instinctively, her fingers digging into her neck as she struggled for air. Her chest tightened painfully, each breath harder than the last, until her legs gave way and she collapsed onto the floor.
Nathan watched, amused. He made no move to help her. He didn't even step closer.
As darkness crept into her vision, Valerie's thoughts drifted to Leo. Somewhere deep in her fading consciousness, Vera who had vanished long ago appeared again, screaming in excruciating pain.
"Leo…"
The name slipped from her lips as a whisper.
Her eyes fluttered shut as she drew her final breath.
******
Outside the Harmon.
The Six Harmonias stood on high alert, encircling a violent, tornado of dark energy. They already knew what happened.
A life had been taken.
Wickedness!.
Wickedness!!
Wickedness!!!
The words echoed through the air as the tornado roared louder, born from nowhere yet filled with malice. The Harmonias tried desperately to calm it, but their powers failed against its rage.
The storm surged toward the Harmon.
Walls that had once been impenetrable tore open as seven evil spirits slipped through the breach, vanishing into the city within seconds.
The second Harmonia, Coco, ran toward the opening. Drawing on every ounce of her power, she forced the walls to seal shut.
The moment they closed, Coco vanished, taken along with the tornado. The chaos settled instantly, leaving behind an eerie silence.
The remaining Harmonias stood frozen, helpless.
They could not interfere with things inside the Harmon.
Nor were they permitted to enter.
All they could do was watch through the sacred globe, waiting and hoping to see what devastation had already begun.