In the fog-laced mountains near the border of Virelia, a soft melody played from a broken music box. The melody reached her ears before her name did—Elira.
But she couldn't remember it.
Elira (age 23) once walked among gods and cursed men. Her emerald eyes, once symbols of forbidden wisdom, now shimmered with confusion. She was found wandering by a secretive woman named Dahlia Ashcroft, a tattooed illusionist and secret heir of a trillionaire family exiled decades ago.
Dahlia (age 25) – known as "The Crimson Whisper"
Attitude: Ruthless, seductive, unstable
Eyes: Pitch black with gold rings
Specialty: Lies and revealing truths no one asked for
Flaw: Obsessed with controlling fates that aren't hers
Past: Betrayed by every man she ever trusted
She looked at Elira and smiled.
"You'll remember him soon… but by the time you do, you might not love him anymore."
---
A secret dinner party turned bloody.
House Tarsen, ancient oil tycoons and master manipulators, humiliated Ochieng during a fake peace banquet. They laughed at his lowborn roots, unaware he had inherited something deadlier than wealth—loyalty and secrets.
Damarcus Tarsen (age 46)
Power-hungry father
Once orchestrated ten assassinations to get a mining contract
Now fears the silent growth of the Obsidian Lineage, which Ochieng secretly leads
Ochieng didn't say much, but his eyes glinted under candlelight.
"You'll regret this feast when your children beg for mercy in front of my throne."
---
Valemont's most scandalous event of the year arrived: the Midnight Prom. Only the top 50 students were invited. Everyone wore masks. No rules. No filters.
Jayden arrived with Velencia, shocking the entire crowd
Cassara Aravelle kissed Kael under the dark chandelier
Liora showed up in a blood-red gown and danced with her enemy just to start a scandal
Tielen, posing as security, whispered warnings into unsuspecting ears
Maggy, dressed like royalty, avoided everyone's gaze—except Ochieng's, from across the room
And then… the music stopped.
A hologram flickered in the sky above the ballroom.
An anonymous voice echoed:
"One of you will die tonight… and it won't be an accident."
Suddenly, the gates closed. Lights flickered. Phones went dead.
Everyone at the prom was now a piece on the board of a game none of them knew they were playing.
A secret group—The Night Wolves—began their attack. Clad in shadows, they moved room to room, sparing no one.
Sylvain Blackdove was the first to vanish.
Liora screamed.
Cassara pulled out a hidden blade.
Ochieng broke through the fireglass windows, yelling:
"Find Jayden! They want his blood!"
Jayden, trapped in the rooftop observatory, stood facing a man wearing his dead father's face.
---
As chaos spread, Elira, from afar, suddenly gripped her chest. She didn't know why tears fell. But she whispered a name…
"Ochieng…"
At that same moment, beneath the bleeding stars, Cassara knelt before Ochieng.
"I'm no saint. I'm the daughter of war. But I'll be your sword if you'll be my crown."
Ochieng looked down at her—his past still aching, his future bleeding.
"I've made a deal with the devil once before," he said, "and you look a lot like his daughter."
---