I whispered to myself.
“No…
no…
no…”
“This can’t be true.”
My mind raced.
How did King Alaric know Aurora was here?
The Queen Mother had told him Aurora wasn’t in the palace.
So how?
How did he know exactly where to find her?
None of it made any sense.
I remained hidden and continued listening, hoping to hear more of their conversation.
But then…
I heard something else.
Footsteps.
My entire body stiffened.
The sound was getting closer.
Much closer.
My eyes widened.
“D…
did they hear me?”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
I immediately covered my mouth with both hands.
Sweat rolled down my face.
My heart pounded so hard that I was sure they could hear it.
I didn’t know what to do.
I couldn’t run.
I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t even breathe properly.
The footsteps continued approaching.
Closer.
Closer.
And then—A hand suddenly grabbed my arm.
I nearly screamed.
Before I could react, I was pulled away from the dungeon entrance.
The world around me blurred as I was dragged down the corridor.
Only when we were a safe distance away did the person finally stop.
I looked up.
My eyes widened in surprise.
“Adrian?”
He was breathing heavily, as though he had rushed here.
His expression was unusually serious.
Almost worried.
“Are you okay?”
His voice was softer than usual.
For a moment, I couldn’t answer.
I had expected someone else.
Lucien.
Kael.
Cassian.
Maybe even Sylas.
I thought one of them would appear.
Just like they always seemed to.
But not Adrian.
Never Adrian.
Yet somehow…
He was the one standing in front of me now.
The one who had pulled me away before I got caught.
My throat tightened.
Without thinking, I grabbed onto him.
Holding him tightly as I tried to calm my racing heart.
For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.
The only sound was the frantic beating of my own heart.
Adrian slowly loosened his grip on me.
Once he was certain I had calmed down, he stepped back slightly.
Then he looked directly into my eyes.
“What were you doing in the dungeon?”
I froze.
For a moment, I was tempted to tell him everything.
About Aurora.
About King Alaric.
About what I had seen.
But something stopped me.
The fewer people who knew, the better.
At least for now.
So instead of answering him, I crossed my arms and stared back at him.
“I should be the one asking you that question.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
I pointed a finger at him.
“What were you doing in the dungeon?”
His expression remained calm.
I continued before he could answer.
“You know beasts aren’t allowed in the dungeon.”
“The only people allowed down there are royals and guards.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“So tell me, Adrian.”
I took a step closer.
“What exactly were you doing there?”
For the first time since I had met him, Adrian looked slightly caught off guard.
Only for a second.
Then his usual expression returned.
He folded his arms across his chest.
“And what if I asked the same question again?”
I frowned.
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
Neither of us spoke.
We simply stared at each other.
Waiting for the other person to break first.
Finally, Adrian sighed.
“You really want to know?”
I nodded immediately.
“Yes.”
His gaze drifted toward the dungeon entrance.
Then back to me.
And for the first time, I noticed something unusual in his eyes.
Concern.
Real concern.
“I was looking for you.”
My eyes widened.
“What?”
Adrian looked away.
“As much as I hate admitting it…”
He paused.
“I had a bad feeling.”
For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.
A bad feeling?
About me?
Adrian clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“You disappeared.”
“I couldn’t find you anywhere in the palace.”
His eyes met mine once more.
“And knowing you…”
He sighed.
“I figured you were probably about to get yourself into trouble.”
Adrian simply stared at me.
He didn’t answer.
Not even a single word.
The silence only made me more suspicious.
I narrowed my eyes.
Why was he refusing to talk?
Was he hiding something?
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Wait…
Was he following me?
My eyes widened slightly.
That would explain why he appeared at the dungeon at exactly the right moment.
I folded my arms across my chest.
“You were following me, weren’t you?”
Adrian’s expression remained unreadable.
I clicked my tongue in annoyance.
“Why else would you be in the dungeon?”
I took a step closer.
“You know the rules.”
“Beasts aren’t allowed there.”
“The only people permitted to enter are royals and guards.”
I pointed toward the dungeon entrance.
“So tell me.”
“What exactly were you doing down there?”
For a brief moment, Adrian looked away.
That tiny movement was enough to make my suspicion grow.
I stared at him.
No.
There was definitely something he wasn’t telling me.
And I was starting to think it had nothing to do with me.
I stared at Adrian, waiting for him to answer my question.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he simply looked at me and said,
“It’s late.
You should get some rest.”
Then he turned around and quietly walked away.
“Adrian!”
He didn’t stop.
I remained standing there, watching as his figure slowly disappeared down the hallway, leaving me completely alone.
I clicked my tongue in annoyance.
“Great.”
Without another word, I turned around and headed toward my chamber.
The moment I entered my room, I slammed the door shut behind me.
BANG.
I immediately began pacing back and forth.
My fingers nervously played with each other as countless thoughts raced through my mind.
“What happens now?”
I continued walking.
“What’s going on?”
I ran a hand through my hair.
“First Aurora challenges me.”
“Then I find out about the Royal Games.”
“And now King Alaric was secretly talking to Aurora in the dungeon.”
I stopped walking.
My heart pounded heavily in my chest.
“Something is definitely going on.”
I looked around the room before lowering my voice.
“Someone is rewriting my novel.”
The words felt strange the moment they left my mouth.
Because it was true.
Nothing was happening the way I remembered.
The characters were changing.
The events were changing.
Even the future itself seemed different.
I clenched my fists.
“I don’t remember writing any of this.”
Silence filled the room.
Then a terrifying thought crossed my mind.
I froze.
My eyes slowly widened as I stared at the floor.
“What if…”
I swallowed hard.
“What if Aurora is the one changing everything?”
The room suddenly felt colder.
“But how?”
I immediately shook my head.
“No.”
“That’s impossible.”
My voice lacked confidence.
I wanted to dismiss the idea.
I wanted to convince myself it was ridiculous.
But the more I thought about it…
The less impossible it seemed.
Aurora knew things she shouldn’t know.
She acted differently from the character I created.
And somehow, she always seemed to be one step ahead of everyone else.
A chill ran down my spine.
Goosebumps covered my skin.
I slowly backed away.
“No…”
I whispered.
“There’s no way.”
Yet even as I said it, doubt continued growing inside me.
Exhausted, I dragged myself toward the bed and collapsed onto it.
I pulled the blanket over my body and closed my eyes.
But sleep never came.
Every time I shut my eyes, I saw Aurora’s smile.
King Alaric standing in the dungeon.
The scroll.
The Royal Games.
And Adrian refusing to answer my questions.
The thoughts repeated themselves again and again.
Like a broken record.
Keeping me awake long into the night.
The next morning, I was awakened by a knock on my door.
Knock.
Knock.
I slowly sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
My personal maid stepped inside, followed by nearly ten other maids.
Some carried dresses.
Others carried jewelry, makeup, and various accessories.
I stared at them in confusion.
“What is all this?”
The maids entered the room and closed the door behind them.
One of them smiled.
“We are here to prepare you for the Royal Games, Your Highness.”
I blinked.
“The Royal Games?”
They nodded.
Before I could ask another question, they were already moving around the room.
One brought out a dark purple dress.
Another began arranging jewelry.
The rest quickly got to work.
Within minutes, I found myself seated in front of the mirror.
My hair was carefully curled.
The dark purple dress was fitted perfectly.
And before long, the maids finally stepped back to admire their work.
“Beautiful.”
“Absolutely stunning.”
The maids smiled proudly before bowing and leaving the room.
The moment the door closed behind them, it opened once more.
Kael walked inside.
His gaze immediately landed on me.
For a moment, he simply stared.
Then he quietly said,
“You look beautiful.”
I felt my cheeks warm slightly.
Turning toward him, I offered him a small smile.
“Thank you.”
Kael moved closer and stood beside me.
Seeing him reminded me of something.
“The Royal Games.”
His eyebrows rose.
“What about them?”
I turned toward him.
“Can you tell me more about them?”
Kael looked surprised.
“But I thought you already knew.”
“You’ve participated before.”
I immediately looked away.
“Mmm…
yes.”
I forced a smile.
“I know what they’re about.”
“They’re games played by royals.”
My mind instantly flashed back to Lucien explaining everything to me the previous day.
I quickly pushed the memory aside.
“I know all about them.”
Kael seemed unconvinced.
Still, he said nothing.
Instead, I asked,
“How long do the Royal Games usually last?”
“About a week.”
“A week?”
He nodded.
“There are five different games and several rounds.”
“And after the final round, a banquet is held to celebrate the winning kingdom.”
I nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, yes.
I already know that.”
Kael folded his arms.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
I quickly changed the subject.
“Then what’s the first game going to be about?”
To my surprise, he shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
I stared at him.
“You don’t know?”
Kael nodded.
“No one does.”
I frowned.
“What do you mean no one knows?”
“The games change every four years.”
He walked toward the window as he continued.
“So the challenges are never the same.”
“Only the rulers know what the games will be.”
I blinked.
“The rulers?”
Kael nodded.
“The kings and queens.”
“They act as judges.”
“And because they’re judges, they aren’t allowed to participate.”
“They’re the ones who decide the rules.”
I stared at him silently.
Somehow…
That answer only gave me even more questions.
Before I could ask Kael any more questions, a servant entered the room and bowed.
“Your Highnesses, your presence is required at the arena.”
Kael and I exchanged glances.
“The arena?” I asked.
The servant nodded.
“The Royal Games are about to begin.”
Without wasting any time, Kael and I followed him.
The closer we got to the arena, the louder the crowd became.
Thousands of people filled the seats.
Their voices echoed throughout the massive stadium.
When we finally arrived, I noticed that the others were already waiting.
Cassian.
Sylas.
Adrian.
Lucien.
The moment Lucien saw Kael and me walking together, his expression darkened slightly.
Before I could even greet anyone, Lucien stepped forward.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him.
My eyes widened.
“Lucien—”
I stopped speaking.
Something else had caught my attention.
I looked around.
Standing near the arena were princes and princesses from the neighboring kingdoms.
Some were talking amongst themselves,
Others were carefully observing their competition.
I blinked.
So the royal families had arrived last night.
That explained why the palace felt so crowded.
My gaze swept across the arena.
Then I realized something.
I was the only royal representing Ravencroft.
A strange feeling settled in my stomach.
Before I could think further—
BOOM!
A loud metallic sound echoed throughout the arena.
The entire crowd gasped.
I looked up.
My eyes widened.
A massive cage was falling from above.
“What the—”
CRASH!
The cage slammed into the arena floor.
The impact shook the ground beneath our feet.
Before anyone could react, the iron bars locked into place.
I stumbled backward.
My heart nearly stopped.
We were trapped.
Me.
All five of my beasts.
And every single competitor.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
I gripped the bars tightly.
“What is going on?”
Then I looked toward the royal viewing platform.
King Alaric slowly rose from his seat.
Beside him sat the Queen Mother and the rulers of the three neighboring kingdoms.
The arena immediately fell silent.
The Queen Mother stood.
Her voice echoed throughout the stadium.
“Let the Royal Games begin.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Something told me this wasn’t going to be an ordinary competition.
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