As they both barged into their chambers, they were throwing outburts here and there."What happened? Did you both got rejected?" Circe asked as if to fuel the matter, a smirk playing on her lips."Shut up, Circe! That's not a joke. Sirius told Regan about her true identity," Vesper replied, her expression furious.Circe's expression changed from amused to curious, "What? How did she take it?""She just got another reason to make herself look like she is important," Vesper replied angrily as she sat on a couch and started to drink an cold icy drink to calm herself down."Yes, the weirdo now thinks she's all that because she's apparently turned a princess now," said Allegra."Whatever," said Circe as she opened a tablet like device that held a 3d holographic design. She didn't really care though. It was becoming a constant drama. They were either going to talk about Sirius or something related to him."You seem awfully calm about this. Do you know something we don't?" Allegra suddenly asked, her eyes piercing with accusations.Circe left the tablet device on the small table and turned at them, her face crossed by a smirk, "Me? What else could I know more?""You seem to be saying some sort of cryptic words to us. You've been implying some things, haven't you?" Vesper asked, her eyes narrowing and she crossed her arms.Circe laughed, "Implying? What have I been implying? Oh, sisters you've been really insecure lately. You need to calm down. It's not a big deal.""So? Aren't you going to say something about what Sirius did?" Allegra asked, annoyed.Circe sighed, "I've said it earlier that we should not trust him for everything. I don't know what lies under his motives but he has turned the matter with Regan, pretty much....personal, I think," she replied, still looking at the hologram."I don't care. It's time we take the matters on our hands, sisters." Vesper said, her eyes glimmering with a menacing look."And what are we going to do?" Allegra raised an eyebrow, "Nothing seems to go on our side, lately.""We'll let Sirius know he's not the one who controls the narrative." Vesper answered."And how are you going to do that?" Circe asked, "Are you going to attack Regan again?" Her expression filled with disbelief."I think that's exactly what we need to do!" Allegra vented."I think we should wait a little bit. Just to see what's going to happen. Because I hardly think that she won't react herself." Circe said, her expression turned thoughtful."Wait? We've waited long enough! It's been a long time of her staying here. The cup is filled already." Vesper said."Yes, Vesper is right. We have to attack. Now." Allegra added."Sisters, I know you want to attack Regan, but this is not the best thing to do. Since she learnt her truth, she's going to act unpredictably. And here, we can strike, but not immediately." Circe attempted to reason."Ugh! I'm so tired by these 'calculated' ways. We've been doing this for a while and nothing worked. We have to take action." Allegra retorted in frustration."But being cautious is–"Vesper slammed her hand on the table, her eyes blazing with fury. "I don't care about your cautious approach, Circe! We need to strike!"Circe raised an eyebrow, "And what moves do you propose? Attacking her without a strategy will only unite her against us.""We don't need your lectures, Circe. We need action!" Allegra snapped, her irritation palpable."Fine you fools," Circe muttered, "do what you want. But I'm not in this."Vesper shot her a disdainful look, "As if we care. You're just scared and you're playing under Sirius's tune. He is trying to make fun of us, thinking that we're scared and stupid. But we'll show him that he isn't the one in control!""I agree with Vesper," Allegra added, "we need to act now."****Back in Regan's chamber, she couldn't get over anything she had learned. Determination burned within her and she swore to not cry anymore. The fact that Seraphina didn't come again, set the intrusive thoughts on her, thinking that Sirius might have heard their converse and done something bad to Seraphina.She felt like she was going to suffocate if she continued to say held forcefully. Her mind hurt with the thought that she was staying in the place of someone who wiped out her real family.Now, the rush to escape and go out to the nowhere, rather than to stay inside that castle, grew desperately. Regan knew that she didn't know the ways around, didn't know the place, but still, she couldn't stay there, her conscious hurt when reminding herself of where was she really.Although she wanted revenge from Sirius, she couldn't get it there. She needed a plan and couldn't act impulsive and harm her own self.She wore a dark and long cloak that she found on the wardrobe, and put it's hood on her head.Quietly, she opened the door and peeked her head outside. It was a chilling silence like everytime, except, there were guards around. Guards, in military attires, armed."Damnit! Armed men exists here as well!" Regan cursed lowly. Why there were guards?Her mind raced with thoughts that she couldn't walk without being seen. There was literally no way for her to go, without being seen. "I'm stuck here," she muttered to herself.Maybe she had to try, fool them around. Who knows, maybe they let her go if she excused herself.She stepped out of the chamber, the guards hearing her. One of them turned and asked, "Where to?""I was going to....I was going to see the garden. It's a lovely day outside, and I thought I could use some fresh air," Regan improvised, trying to sound casual despite the nerves fluttering in her stomach.The guard narrowed his eyes, eyeing her suspiciously. Then, he exchanged looks with the others and turned to her, "Very well, but don't wander too far. We have our orders." He gestured for her to proceed, keeping a suspicious look.Regan tried to keep her composure, her heart pounding with each step. She quickly disappeared from their side and went down a pair of marble stairs. She didn't want to go anywhere dangerous, but she wanted to find a way out of here.The corridors were a maze, and every turn could lead to unexpected challenges.After stepping down the other floor, she really needed to find the way to the garden. It'd be easier to escape. However, it was difficult to navigate since the darkness was in all the ways around. Suddenly, she heard some footsteps and her heart lurched in her throat.She pressed herself on the shadows on the wall, hiding and praying to not get caught by whoever was coming. The footsteps came closer and she saw that it was general Vlad, that man she had encountered in the morning.He seemed focused, perhaps on some duty, unaware of Regan's presence. As he passed, she sighed in relief and continued her escape, moving with swift and calculated steps.She clenched the hood tight and continued to move. However, when she took a turn on the right, which was the only direction available, she stumbled upon a set of tall doors.She turned her head back, looking at the flickering torches on the wall, which casted scary and chilling shadows.She hadn't ever been good at quick decisions. However, footsteps echoed again and this time, her panic raised even more, knowing she couldn't hide, except past that door.With a sense of urgency, she swiftly opened it, silently grateful that it wasn't locked. After she closed the door behind her, she revealed a breathtaking gothic library. The sight was mesmerizing, with towering shelves filled with ancient books, their spines adorned with intricate patterns.Despite the enchanting allure of the library, Regan forced herself to stay focused on her escape. She moved swiftly through the vast space, trying not to be swayed by the charms of the library. Her eyes scanned for any signs of exits and hiding spots.The tall bookshelves were spread everywhere and she caught a glimpse of hope that if anyone were meant to come here, she'd hide, if not escape.As she walked around the vast library, she couldn't shake the curiosity she had to read the books, each one of with the most attractive looks ever. But she couldn't lose time.Regan searched around for any sign of passage or entrance but it was a library, not a secret vault.Suddenly, as she turned around, she saw a faint glow of flame, floating in air. Regan ran her hand through it and it vanished into thin air. However, others appeared after the first one, like guiding her into a path.Startled and confused, Regan followed their direction and it led to a certain bookshelf. The last spark met with a book. Regan grabbed that book and flipped through the pages, but she didn't catch anything odd. It's pages were written in unknown script that she couldn't decipher.As she darted her eyes from the book, she saw that the spark now was on the end of the bookshelf, right after the book was placed. There, Regan saw a handle. Her eyebrows furrowed and she touched the handle, cracking it. Immediately, the bookshelf shifted and she flinched in fear.The bookshelf moved from it's place, revealing a dark and creepy passage. Regan gulped as she saw it; she had found a secret passage. Since it was hidden in such way, Regan supposed that there were things going on down there.However, she couldn't turn back, maybe the passage offered a way out for her.Grabbing a lantern hanged on the wall, she took a deep breath and stepped down, the bookshelf-door closing immediately after she did.The path was narrow and creepy, with dimly lit torches flickering with low flames, casting weird shadows.Regan realized that she had entered this path herself and now, the way was to only go further.With her heart pounding rapidly, she ventured in the narrow tunnel, the sound of rodents whispering in her ears, raising her discomfort and unease.She couldn't shake her fear as the main source of light was her lantern, as she couldn't trust the torches of the dungeon. At the same time, she didn't dare to turn her head back, just like in a horror game, when you try to avoid backs and corners.All she could hear was her own rapid heart in the middle of the chilling cold and silence. But soon, the silence was replaced by ramblings and rantings. Regan felt scared to the core, having no idea where had she stumbled upon.The tunnel opened up into a larger space, revealing a series of cells lined along the walls. Regan's eyes widened as she saw figures huddled in the darkness of the cells. Some were chained, while others were bruised and battered. Her hands trembled on the lantern and she realized that these were captives and prisoners.Some didn't even look human, but she kept walking trying to seem as invisible as possible, hugging her cloak tightly.In one of the cells, she noticed a man with reptilian features, his consciousness alive as his pleading eyes locking onto hers. His voice startled her."Who are you?" the unknown man asked, his voice dripping with an unknown tone.As Regan looked at the reptilian guy, she tried to ignore his question but he spoke again, "Who are you? Are you here to free me? Free me, please!" He pleaded, however Regan could sense something doubtful.He got on his feet, his hands gripping the cell bars, "Help me! Get me out of here!" He said in a low whisper."What?" Regan blurted, stepping back."Help me, please! I don't deserve this. They torture me day by day," the prisoner continued, his voice desperate although Regan couldn't shake the feeling that he was definitely bad news."How can I help you?" Regan replied, confused and bewildered from what she was doing. There was no time to talk with Sirius's prisoners. She had to watch out for herself."There's a key, in the vault, there. The vault is locked." The reptilian guy said, pointing at a weird vault feet away from his cell, "Just give me the key, then I'll unlock the others as well."Regan gulped, she could see his wrecked and poor state, however she couldn't shake the doubts she had, that he was someone dangerous."No," Regan snapped, narrowing her eyes. "I'm not going to help you. I'm also imprisoned and I'm looking after my own plans."A mischievous flicker appeared in his eyes, as if he smirked invisibly, "Well then, we can escape together. I know the way out."An unsettling feeling rose on Regan as she pondered his words, a malicious hint in his voice, although he sounded desperate, "No, I'm not escaping with anyone. It's not my problem that you're imprisoned here."The prisoner's face took another desperate look as he said, "I know you don't trust me, but we're all beaten up and tortured by Sirius and his merciless general, everyday. You're the only way to escape."Upon noticing that she was losing a lot of time, Regan turned to look at the vault, noticing a key. She didn't trust the prisoner, but however, part of her, felt mercy, since she was also someone who was looking to escape.She looked at the key, her mind swirling with thoughts as he continued to plead.Then, in a swift and brief motion, she felt a well known presence. Her whole body went stiff as she realized that Sirius was near. She grabbed the key and threw it to the prisoner who grinned in response. Not wasting time anymore, she slipped into run, to the straight direction, as she passed some other empty cells.The path narrowed again as she kept going, her fear and panic raising within the seconds.She didn't want to get caught and she cursed herself for talking to that weird prisoner. She presumed it was all her fault, like it had always been, and now her escape was hanging on a thin line.Sirius, on the other hand, was doing his mundane visits to his prisoners, when he felt Regan's aura. He thought to be mistakened, however the guards had informed him that she wasn't in her chamber either. As he furiously passed by the cell of the reptilian guy, the guy grinned in mischief as he kept his hold on the key strongly enough.As Regan ran through the dungeon, she hoped that there was a way out and that she didn't just fall in a trap of her escape. She reached the end of the path, and some stairs appeared. Ones that led down, others that led up.Considering that going down would led her to deeper and scarier crypts, she chose the way up, hoping that it'll lead somewhere worthy, however, she could still feel the sorcerer's presence.As he was getting quite annoyed with his search, although he knew she was around, he stopped on his tracks."You want to play cat and mouse, Regan? Let's play then," he muttered, closing his eyes and summing a spell, a spell that highlighted the way in which Regan went.He smirked as he calmly followed the lead.As soon as the spell reached Regan, she felt a tug at her chest, her own self noticing a long spark of a line, a flame spark after her.She got startled as she kept climbing the stairs faster, however the flame line didn't miss her."What the hell is that thing?!" Regan muttered, getting more frightened.She was running out of air as the stairs seemed to stretch endlessly and she climbed them with a raging run.But the stairs still ended and she came to meet with a blank wall adorned with a window, an arched small window, in which she couldn't find any way out.Her eyebrows furrowed, herself got unsettled, she cursed herself for choosing such a wrong way to go. There was no way further, she could only turn back, however, she was scared to do so.She stood still and tried to even her breath, her eyes caught at the sparked line that didn't disappear. It looked to be made of dust, burning dust.Regan felt Sirius presence was even closer. She couldn't help but feel mad at herself that her attempts to escape were worthless as she couldn't even get out from the walls of the castle but instead, she got inside its deeper dungeons.Then, the faint sound of footsteps echoed behind her. Regan turned around slowly and she saw the one and only, the sorcerer. Her eyes didn't widen, she was well aware he was around and if he found her, it was her own fault.But the dust flame line hadn't disappeared, it was still there, now coming from his chest, directed to her own chest."You're a clever little witch, Regan. You're not afraid of the darkness and torture. However, you still fail to escape." He taunted, his face crossed by usual smug.Regan didn't reply at all. She continued to stare at the spark that bore in his chest. It was crazy."Follow me," Sirius said, his expression unreadable. His words snapped Regan a little."Follow you? I didn't come here to follow you," Regan retorted, crossing her arms, but the spark still didn't cut.Sirius chuckled, "Ah, but you see, you made a big mistake of coming here. And if you don't follow me, don't get out of here and return to your pretty hellhole, well, your aunt shall pay the consequences. You see, I chose when to be generous. And now, I'm feeling you need some sort of punishment, along with your aunt who's not even here."Regan's jaw clenched. She wasn't scared of him giving some punishment. But she couldn't stand him threatening her with her aunt anymore."You can't just threaten me with my aunt," she snapped."Oh, but I can, my dear Regan. And I can execute it in front of you as well. Then, we shall see how much of a firecracker you'll be." His expression was still smug but his voice held a threat she couldn't ignore.He turned back, stepping down on the stairs, motioning for her to follow. Regan reluctantly followed him, knowing that even if she persisted, she didn't have where else to go.The fire spark was stubborn to fade. "What's that?" Regan asked, trying to sound as annoyed as possible.Sirius smirked, "That's the unfortunate connection I have with you. It's the same for you.""I'm the rightful owner of this spell, not you. Yours is corrupted," she said, her voice confident all of sudden."It doesn't matter. I still have it," he retorted."You must've stolen it somewhere," Regan accused."Stolen it?" He raised an eyebrow, glancing at her over his shoulder. "Just as you, I was born with it. I don't know what my ancestors did...I never got to know them, because of your parents."Regan shook her head, "You're lying to me about my parents. You're not telling the truth.""The truth is subjective, princess.""It's not. The truth is the truth, it doesn't matter what you think!" she boldly denied."Let's not fight about that now. It's the middle of the night and you want to argue now," he scoffed.As they stepped down the stairs, Regan saw a door on her right, it was white. Her eyebrows furrowed, wondering how she hadn't seen it before. She twisted its doorknob, not caring if Sirius saw. It was locked."That's locked," he chuckled, "you think I'm going to leave some random door unlocked so you can escape like a lost kitten?"Regan's fists clenched tightly. Did he just call her kitten? "Just shut up," she snapped, "you think I believe these lies about my parents?""And what do you believe? The lies you've been told your entire life? There's no precise truth in your life, Regan. So even if you believe what I say, don't call it a dead end. It might lead you somewhere.""Your lies won't lead me anywhere," Regan retorted, "you'll regret everything you've done.""And what if I told you that your destiny is intertwined with mine? That your parents made choices that led to this very moment? Would it lead you somewhere?""My destiny isn't intertwined with yours!" Regan shot back. She couldn't understand. Where was he going with all that? It was infuriating. "There's no destiny in this! Choices come by free will, not destiny. If you have my power, it's not like destiny chose you. Your ancestors stole it from my family."His steps halted and then he turned back, stepping up the stairs to reach the ones Regan was in. Her breath hitched as he leaned close. The space was very cramped and she felt trapped."You're intelligent, I get it," his eyes narrowed, "but call it whatever you want, fate, destiny, choice, will....you're still bound to me." He said, his voice chillingly cold. His words stung and she swallowed nervously. Bound? Bound to him. It terrified her."I'm not bound to you," she snapped. "You don't scare me.""It's not meant to scare you," he smirked. "It's just that this pathetic bond, added by the fact that you survived the destruction, makes us sworn enemies for life. And this is funny, isn't it?"