The night in Elandor was dark and silent, the sky covered by heavy clouds that blocked any light from illuminating the castle. Inside its walls, the atmosphere was equally tense. Lying beside Seraphis, Elysiel felt the weight of the moment, as if the air around them was thick with an inescapable, dense energy.
She was still caught in the remnants of that intense night they had shared. The passion between them, once driven purely by physical desire and the connection of power, was now beginning to evolve into something more. Although Elysiel would not openly admit it, she was subtly, silently falling in love, without even realizing it. Every touch, every glance held deeper meaning, as if their souls were intertwining more with each moment.
Lying in his arms, Elysiel could feel Seraphis's strength beside her, but there was something else—a hidden tenderness, something he rarely let show. It was as if, for brief moments, Seraphis revealed a vulnerability that Elysiel had never seen before. While he slept, his breathing calm and steady, Elysiel watched his face and wondered how much of this demon was truly his darkness, and how much was simply a reflection of her own fears and desires.
But deep down, something still troubled her. She was changing, and this change brought her closer to Seraphis, yet further from herself. She knew it, even if she refused to admit it. The visions, the nightmares, and the mark on her arm were proof that her soul was being slowly consumed by the darkness. And the more she surrendered to Seraphis, the harder it would be to turn back.
As Elysiel's thoughts wandered, a distant sound echoed through the castle corridors. She frowned, trying to identify the noise. Footsteps. Many footsteps. She rose slowly, careful not to wake Seraphis, and went to the window. Outside, in the darkness of the night, she saw movement. The council.
Her most loyal council members—or those who once had been—were gathering. Elysiel knew what that meant. They had made their decision.
Hours later, the atmosphere inside the castle was suffocating. The fairy council had decided that Elysiel was no longer fit to rule. They believed that she had been consumed by Seraphis's darkness and that if they didn't act, the entire kingdom would fall with her.
Lirian and Lynore, the leaders of the council, stood at the forefront, their faces grim and determined. They loved Elandor and had faithfully served the royal family for years. But now, faced with Elysiel's transformation, they believed that the greatest act of loyalty would be to remove her from power before it was too late.
— She is lost to us. — Lirian said, his face hardened by sorrow and the certainty that they were about to do something irreversible. — We can no longer trust her. The pact with Seraphis has corrupted her, and if we remain under her command, Elandor will be destroyed.
Lynore nodded, her voice trembling with emotion. — We must act now, before she drags us all into the darkness with her.
With a nod, Lirian led the council members down the main corridor toward the throne room. They were prepared for confrontation. They knew they would have to overthrow Elysiel by force, and they were ready to pay the price.
When the doors of the throne room opened, Elysiel was standing in the center of the hall, her presence imposing, though something in her eyes revealed a mix of exhaustion and understanding. She already knew. Seraphis was absent, but she didn't need him at that moment. The battle that was about to take place was between her and those who had once stood by her side.
— You've come to depose me. — Elysiel said, her voice calm but filled with a dark power that reverberated through the walls of the hall.
Lirian stepped forward, his face rigid. — We have no choice, Elysiel. Seraphis's power is consuming you. You could no longer be our queen. You're condemning Elandor to destruction.
The other council members nodded in silent agreement, their expressions betraying the anguish of their decision. They would rather not fight her, but they felt there was no other choice.
Elysiel sighed, feeling the weight of their betrayal. But at the same time, something inside her solidified. They couldn't see what she and Seraphis were building. They couldn't comprehend the power they were forging together.
— You don't understand. — she said, her tone shifting, now more severe. — I did what was necessary to save Elandor. And you, my own council, are trying to destroy everything.
Lirian raised his hand, ready to give the command that would begin the confrontation. But before he could speak, Elysiel moved forward, her dark aura expanding. The shadows around her stirred, responding to her growing fury.
— I tried to show you the way, but you are weak! — she shouted, her voice resonating with power. The mark on her arm pulsed, and the darkness within her seemed to come to life. — Now, you will face the consequences.
The battle erupted brutally. Lirian, Lynore, and the other council members channeled their fairy magic, wielding the light that still remained within them to try to subdue Elysiel. But the darkness she now commanded was overwhelming. With a wave of her hand, the shadows rose like living creatures, attacking her former allies with crushing force.
Lirian tried to cast a spell to contain the shadows, but he was struck down by a wave of darkness that enveloped him, suffocating him. Lynore, desperate, launched a blast of pure light at Elysiel, but the queen's power had grown too strong. The light was swallowed by the darkness, dissipating in the air before it could even reach Elysiel.
One by one, every council member fell, until only Elysiel remained standing, surrounded by the bodies of her former allies, now defeated and exhausted on the ground.
Elysiel looked down at them, her chest heaving, heart pounding. She had won, but in doing so, something inside her had broken. She had crossed a line.
As she gazed at the fallen faces of Lirian and Lynore, Elysiel realized there was no going back. The council was no longer her ally. They were her enemies. And now, she was closer to Seraphis than she had ever been.
The darkness had consumed her completely.