Chapter 259
“Wait up!” Violet called, weaving through the exiting crowd of students as her eyes locked onto the familiar figure moving swiftly ahead.
Mary halted at once, like she’d been expecting to be stopped. She turned slowly, her blonde hair catching the light.
Violet offered a small smile. “Hey. Where’ve you been?”
“Hello to you too,” Mary responded quietly.
Violet was about to press for details, but noticed Mary glancing sideways and her gaze shifted to where Daisy, Ivy, and Lila stood, waiting for her.
Violet gave her roommates a quick look in return, silently telling them she’d catch up soon. Understanding her unspoken signal, the trio slipped away into the thinning crowd.
Now alone, the ballroom was nearly empty, save for a few staff members tidying up the mess left behind by students before shutting the doors.
In that echoing space, Mary let out a wry smile. “I’ve…been in the hospital.”
Violet’s heart jumped. “Which hospital?” she asked quickly, the pit of her stomach turning cold and her voice coming out sharper than intended.
Mary raised an eyebrow, amused. “The school’s hospital, of course. Where else would I go?”
Because of Adele’s ominous warning, Violet had always assumed something strange was going on in that hospital and would never encourage anyone to go there. She couldn’t exactly dissuade Mary either, after all, what would she even say?
Violet laughed sheepishly. “Oh, right. The hospital. Where else would it be? Sorry, my mind can be a little dull sometimes,” she managed to cover up.
Mary took a breath, looking hesitant, then confessed in a low voice, “I’ve been having epileptic attacks. It had been mild for as long as I know, but since that week they got so severe the school decided to keep me in the ward for observation.”
Violet’s heart sank. “Oh… Mary, I’m so sorry.” She reached out and put a comforting hand on Mary’s arm, gently squeezing.
But the moment she did, Mary’s eyes snapped wide. She gasped as though jolted by an unseen force, and her body went rigid. In an instant, she collapsed, dragging Violet down with her.
For a terrifying heartbeat, Violet froze, having no idea what to do. It all happened so quickly. Then she realized the girl was convulsing, her limbs jerking uncontrollably on the floor.
“Mary!” Violet cried, completely stunned. Her breath caught in her throat, panic rising. “Somebody help!” she called out weakly, her voice barely carrying as her mind scrambled to process the situation.
Her attention shot downward when Mary’s hand gripped her arm so tightly that it hurt, her jacket saving her from experiencing a deeper injury.
All at once, Mary’s convulsions seemed to still for a moment, and her pupils rolled back. Her voice, half-choked, shaped words that emerged in a haunting, distant tone:
“Child of war,
Child of chaos,
The moon chose you not for peace,
but for fire—
A crown forged not in gold, but blood.
A hate-bite unravels the knot,
The purple bloom awakens.
Blood calls to blood; blood of my blood.
Four thrones must break for the other to rise,
And truth will bleed behind loving lies.
Beware—the serpent smiles where hearts are set.
The storm,the beast, the fox, the puppeter,
With hearts entwined,
Shall break the law.
A father’s wrath,
A kingdom’s lie.
Two worlds tremble at her name—
The hidden princess who tames the flames.
So warns fate: night is coming.
Peace or war—let none forget,
The goddess moves her final bet.”
Violet was transfixed by the scene, the words wrapped around her like a noose, thick and suffocating. Her ears rang with them, each syllable searing into her bones like prophecy carved in fire. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t think.
It wasn’t until someone, probably one of the staff, rushed in and pushed her aside to help Mary that Violet snapped back to reality, adrenaline leaving her shaky and breathless.
She let them tend to Mary, rising on her feet unsteadily.
Blood of my blood. Four thrones must break. The serpent smiles. And that final mention of a father’s wrath.
In her mind, all of it rang as ominous as a death knell.
A staff member managed to carry Mary away just as her roommates, Lila, Daisy and Ivy came hustling into the room, their eyes wide with shock.
“What just happened?” Ivy asked, startled at her rattled features.
Violet shook her head, her throat clogged. “I have no idea.”
Lila gave her a long, narrowed look, eyes sharp like a hawk circling prey. It was the look of someone who just knew something was up.
Before she could say anything, Daisy swooped in like a divine distraction, looping her arm through Violet’s.
“Come on, let’s go,” The girl led her away.
The hallway was alive with the usual noise of students chatting, lockers slamming, heels clicking, and sneakers squeaking. It was a routine they were now used to and they moved through it until Daisy turned to Violet and said, “Now be sure to execute the first plan.”
With that, Daisy and Ivy split off, leaving Violet alone with Lila.
Violet casually flipped open her locker and reached inside. Her fingers found a random textbook she had absolutely no reason to touch. Still, she pulled it out with great flair.
Then, with the theatrics of a girl who’d just run a marathon in heels, Violet let out a long, exaggerated yawn.
Lila blinked. “Why the hell are you yawning? Didn’t you sleep last night?”
Violet placed the book against her hip and said with a half-smirk, half-sigh, “Nope. Roman Draven came to my room last night.”
Lila’s gasp was so loud it could’ve shattered crystal.
“WHAT?! ROMAN DRAVEN CAME TO YOUR ROOM LAST NIGHT?!”
At once, heads turned and conversations halted mid-sentence as eyes were suddenly fixed deliciously on them.
Except it was exactly as planned.
Violet smiled, slow and sly, like a fox with its paw on the trap’s trigger. The bait had been set. Now let the gossip feast begin.