Susanna's heart leapt into her throat when the door swung open with a jarring creak, and her body went rigid. She instinctively rubbed her palms together, waiting anxiously.
"Milady," Helena's voice cut through the tension, frantic and breathless.
Relief washed over Susanna as she recognized her maid's familiar tone, but it was quickly replaced by a cold surge of dread as Helena's next words sank in.
"The steward is calling for you to go to the Duke's quarters. He says it's urgent," Helena said, her face etched with worry, her brow furrowed deeply.
A chill ran through Susanna, tightening her chest. Her mind raced back to the lines she had read. The Duke, driven to madness after his victory in war, ended his wife's life in a fit of insanity. The thought of her own impending doom made her throat dry and her limbs numb with icy fear.
"Milady! Milady!" Helena's voice broke through Susanna's fearful daze. "Aren't you going?" she urged, her tone desperate.
Susanna wanted to shake her head and refuse, but her fear rendered her powerless. She nodded stiffly. "Help me get dressed," she managed to whisper. Helena sprang into action, selecting a soft pastel dress from the wardrobe with swift, practised movements, helping her wear it.
Once dressed, Susanna steeled herself and moved toward the Duke's wing, her steps deliberate yet laden with trepidation. Each step felt like an eternity, her heart hammering in her chest as if trying to escape.
"Milady, are your feet injured?" Helena's voice broke through her anxious reverie.
Susanna shook her head, forcing a semblance of calm into her voice. "No," she replied, her voice trembling slightly.
With every step she took, the oppressive weight of fear seemed to grow heavier, each footfall echoing ominously in the grand, silent corridors leading to the Duke's chambers.
Suddenly, a loud cry echoed through the corridors. Both Susanna and Helena stopped in their tracks, glancing at each other for reassurance. Then another cry burst out.
"Milady, I think going there is not a good idea. Let's return," Helena said, her lips trembling with fear.
"I think that too." Susanna nodded, gulping down the lump in her throat.
As they turned to leave, "Duchess!" Edward called, rushing to her side.
Susanna cursed internally as she turned to face Edward, who looked distraught.
"Milady, the Duke—he is—"
Edward didn't finish when a violet, dangerous hue spilt into the hall from the Duke's bedchamber. The atmosphere felt eerily compressed as the three held their breath, frozen by the dark aura enveloping them.
Footsteps echoed closer. Susanna's body trembled, sensing her end was near. She cursed the plot that foretold her demise on a dark, moonless night filled with thunder, expecting she had more time to escape, but it turned out to be worse than she had expected.
Susanna tried to walk, but fear made her legs freeze. In a flash, the Duke appeared before them. His presence terrified her. The Duke's eyes were void of any emotion; he appeared like a puppet controlled by another. He held a sword in his hand, nearly as tall as him and wider than the average sword. The sword was surrounded by the same hue as if it were set on violet fire. His body was cloaked in dark shadows gnawing at him.
"It happened because of you!" he shouted, directing his rage at Susanna.
"I—" she stammered, fear constricting her throat.
Suddenly, the Duke launched an attack. In that instant, time slowed; his sword moved toward her neck, Edward's ghastly cries urged the Duke to stop, and Helena's loud gasp covered her mouth.
Then everything sped up. A gust of wind rushed past her as Susanna was pushed aside, the Duke's sword colliding with another.
"Duchess! Are you okay?" asked Cedric, his voice filled with concern.
Susanna gulped and nodded. Tonight, she experienced a fear that weighed heavier than anything she had known in her life.
She watched as Cedric and the Duke fought fiercely, their swords—a violet and a red—colliding, creating a powerful wave of wind. Susanna felt the earth shake with their superpowers.
Her thoughts mixed between awe as if she were watching an anime and trepidation at the real power the two wielded.
She felt foolish for thinking that learning a few movements would help her fight the Duke. With her skills, even touching him seemed impossible, let alone defeating him!
Chaos erupted as the Duke fought with intensity while Cedric merely evaded the attacks, getting injured in his body. Soon, Cedric was overpowered by the Duke's force.
"Duchess! We have to leave!" Edward stated, seeing the situation worsen.
Susanna nodded and began to walk away, but she couldn't tear her gaze from the scene. She stopped when the Duke blasted Cedric, who was thrown backwards until his body collided with the wall, groaning in pain, falling and struggling to move.
The Duke approached him. "You Tarian's filth! You will end here!" he said, his voice dripping with coldness.
With every step the Duke took, his aura intensified. Susanna turned to Edward, seeking help, but upon seeing his fearful expression, she frowned.
Shifting her gaze back to the fight, she saw the Duke holding his sword, ready to strike.
"Stop!" she yelled instinctively.
The Duke turned to her, smiling coldly. "You want to die first?"
Susanna's heart thumped.