Chapter 6
Thorne’s voice turned ice–cold. “Selene, enough of your lies. We all saw exactly what happened.‘
Beside her, Lydia shifted nervously, silently urging Selene to yield to apologize and put an end to this.
Selene laughed softly, bitterly. Her gaze drifted toward Tiara, who cried dramatically but kept peeking from behind her fingers, awaiting Selene’s downfall.
ཇ་ཚེ་ཀཽན་ཚ་ཨོཾ་
“All right,” Selene conceded quietly, her voice hollow. “I hit her, then. It was me.”
She knew no one would believe her anyway.
Cedric, her father, was enraged, raising his hand to strike her in fury.
Thorne quickly grabbed Cedric’s wrist, stopping him firmly. Selene knew Thorne wasn’t concerned for her he was worried about damaging her heart. Now that the date of the Soul–Binding Ritual was set, she needed to remain unharmed.
Thorne pushed Cedric roughly out of the room. Silence settled, leaving only Thorne, Theo, and Selene
Thorne stared at her, his expression icy. “It was just a few sheets of paper, Selene. Did you really have to make such a scene?”
Selene’s entire body shuddered, his words cutting deeper than physical blows.
Just a few sheets of paper?
Those sketches represented everything she had loved, poured her soul into–the designs that captured her dreams. Yet, in Thorne’s eyes, they were insignificant scraps, worthless
She laughed again, unable to hold back the tears that now spilled freely. So, this was her place in their hearts a meaningless afterthought, barely worth consideration
Her hand pressed tightly against her chest, the pain suddenly tangible and sharp. It seemed heartbreak could indeed manifest physically, crushing the breath from her lungs.
Seeing her distress, Thome’s expression faltered. He quickly stepped forward, catching her shoulders. “What’s wrong? Don’t be upset. Just breathe deeply–it’s not worth getting worked up about something so minor. Let’s just forget about it.”
“Breathe deeply?” she repeated, voice trembling with rage and grief. She couldn’t bear it any longer. With a sudden burst of strength, she shoved him violently away. “Get out!”
She began hurling whatever objects were within reach, her voice rising to a desperate scream, “All of you, get out!”
Thorne retreated, visibly shaken. Without another word, he swiftly left the room, his face darkened with anger and confusion.
By evening, Selene’s emotions had finally settled into numb exhaustion.
Thome returned later, his voice emotionless as he delivered the news “The Elders have set the date for the Soul–Binding Ritual. It will take place in ten days.”
Selene barely reacted, eyes blank.
He continued calmly, “We originally wanted to wait until your fever passed, but your recent behavior has been too unpredictable. Delaying longer will only cause trouble. Ten days from now is ideal.”
She merely nodded, resigned, seemingly accepting her fate
Thorne’s rigid expression softened slightly, his voice gentler. “I will personally oversee the ritual. After the priestess administers the spell, you won’t feel any pain. I promise.”
His tone carried rare concern, almost tenderness. Selene raised her pale face, a bitter smile twisting her lips. “Should I thank you, then?”
He fell silent, unable to answer.
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Selene had grown frighteningly thin, her cheeks hollow, her lips drained of color. She lay on the bed, exhaustion shadowing her eyes, yet one stubborn flicker of defiance remained, “Thorne, have you ever considered that I might actually die after this ritual?”
Thorne’s entire body stiffened, visibly shaken for the first time. A flicker of genuine fear crossed his features. Yet, almost instantly, he composed himself, cold logic replacing his shock
“It’s already been proven, Selene,” he responded quietly. “As long as the Blood–Wish Pact remains incomplete, you can’t truly die. There’s no need to scare me with empty threats.”
The last trace of defiance in her eyes faded completely, replaced by dull resignation. That had been her final, desperate attempt.
She wanted to daugh at herself–at the naïve fool she’d been. She had once believed that a heart freely given would be cherished. But she wasn’t that fool anymore.
Now she understood the truth: Selene Whitmoor would soon vanish from his life forever.
Silence stretched heavily in the room
Thorne watched the tears slide slowly down her cheek, and a strange, sharp ache stirred in his own chest. He quickly suppressed it, assuring himself it was temporary, an emotion he could ignore.
Jonce the ritual concluded, everything would be fine again. He would compensate Selene, shower her with care and affection. She would
come back to life, return to his side, and everything would be as it once was.
He held onto that thought, not realizing how deeply mistaken he truly was
