Chapter four

Lucas observed the woman from across the cell, captivated by her grace and poise. There was something familiar about her, something that stirred memories in the deepest recesses of his mind. He strained to hear her voice as she spoke, and when she turned and their eyes met, he instantly recognized her face. It was the same woman who had tended to his wounds in the forest all those years ago. Despite the passage of time, her features were etched into his memory, and he couldn't help but wonder if she had forgotten about him.

After a moment of silence, Lucas cleared his throat and spoke softly to the woman. "Elen, do you want to hear a story?"

She turned towards him, her eyes reflecting the dim light of the cell. "Please," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Once, there was a little boy who lived happily with his mother," Lucas began, his tone warm with nostalgia. "They were a small family, but they were content. His mother took care of him like both a mother and a father. The boy was full of curiosity, and his mother played many roles for him: she was his caretaker, his mentor, and his friend. They shared lots of good times together, even though they didn’t have a big house. They had each other, and that was all they needed."

Elen listened intently, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips as Lucas painted a picture with his words.

"They were just two people, but they had everything because they had each other," Lucas continued, the warmth of his smile evident in his voice.

"But one day, the young boy was taken far away from his mother against his will," Lucas's expression turned dark and stormy, his eyes clouding with pain. "What seemed like a chance for a better future turned into a terrible fate. Trapped in a cold, lonely place, the young boy became a prisoner, forced to play a game he never wanted to be a part of. Days and nights blurred together, and his longing for his mother grew stronger with each passing moment."

Elen could see the pain etched in Lucas's features, and she reached out a hand to touch his arm in silent sympathy.

"Months passed with no sign of his mother," Lucas's voice quivered with emotion. "Then, a tiny bit of hope came. He was told that if he won a contest, he would be with her again. But he lost. Before he could hug her, she was taken away right before his eyes." His throat tightened, and anger flashed in his eyes. "Her life was taken by someone, and all she could say was that he was a cursed silver werewolf and couldn’t tell anyone."

Elen nodded, her expression softening with understanding. "I'm so sorry, Lucas," she said quietly. "But silver werewolf are curse?"

“Being a silver werewolf was considered a curse, but it was just a story made up by the royal family,” Lucas said. “So, the boy was full of love and the need for revenge. He spent years training and improving, but fate was not on his side.”

Elen tuned into Lucas' story with rapt attention, her heart aching with empathy for the young boy's plight. She hung on every word, feeling the raw emotion behind Lucas's storytelling. As he described the boy's hardships and struggles, a deep sense of sympathy and compassion coursed through Elen.

"Did he find his way in the end?" Elen asked, yearning for a glimmer of hope in the boy's story.

"Unfortunately, his journey ended in tragedy," Lucas replied, his tone heavy with sorrow. "If you were given the chance, would you intervene to help the boy?"

Elen was struck by the sudden intensity in Lucas's gaze, and she carefully considered his question. The boy's story resonated deeply with her, stirring memories of her own past struggles. The thought of being able to impact his life in a potential next existence stirred a deep sense of determination within her.

"Absolutely," Elen declared with unwavering conviction. "I feel a connection to his pain. We're both captives of our circumstances, and I've faced my own share of hardships. In another life, I would stand by him and help him confront the person who caused his mother's suffering."

There was a flicker of understanding in Lucas's eyes, and Elen felt a bond of shared resilience form between them.

"You haven't changed, Elen. I regret not recognizing you earlier. Perhaps if I had, our fates could have been different," Lucas murmured softly, his gaze locked on Elen.

With newfound resolve, Lucas spoke again, his voice infused with determination. "Elen, though we may have been abandoned and broken, our strength endures. In the darkest moments, our resilience comes to light. We will overcome the pain and forge our own destinies."

Elen's eyes sparkled with newfound determination, a flame of resilience alight within her spirit. "You're right," she affirmed. "We will carve our own paths, moving beyond the betrayals that have shadowed us. They may have sought to break us, but they will never extinguish the fire burning in our souls."

Embracing the strength found in shared solidarity, Elen felt a renewed sense of hope, ready to rise above the adversities that had burdened her for so long.

As she observed Lucas, she noticed his body covered in wounds and scars, a visceral reminder of the pain he had endured. A sudden impulse to help him stirred within her.

“Hey, can you come closer? I’ll just heal you,” she offered, hoping to alleviate some of his suffering.

Lucas struggled to move his body towards Elen’s cell, and she gently placed her hands on his shoulders, channeling her inner compassion and warmth. “Fairies are truly something,” he said, a note of admiration in his voice.

“Fairy? I’m not,” Elen said, smiling.

“Yes, you are. Fairies are the ones who possess healing power,” Lucas explained. “Didn’t you know? The duke of Windsor is amusing.”

The revelation hit Elen with a sudden realization. “I am no ordinary human?” she whispered to herself, a mix of confusion and wonder evident in her expression. “I am a fairy, descended from a long line of magical beings.”

As the truth about her identity as a fairy began to sink in, Elen found herself grappling with a whirlwind of emotions. Confusion mingled with wonder as she pondered the implications of her newfound knowledge. How had she not known all these years? The weight of the discovery filled her with both confusion and regret, yet it also sparked a glimmer of curiosity and intrigue that danced at the edge of her thoughts.

“Can I at least know your name?” she inquired, but before she could hear his response, guards forcefully dragged him away. All she caught was “Lu,” and it was barely audible, leaving her with a sense of unfinished conversation and a lingering curiosity.

The next day, as Elen found herself alone in her cell, the absence of the boy whose presence had given her comfort weighed heavily upon her. She could not shake off the feeling of longing for their unfinished conversation, and the moments of solace he had brought her.

The desolation of her isolation was shattered when her sister and Addison, her once-beloved, entered her prison with mocking sneers, treating her with disdain as though she were a common criminal. At the sight of their smirking faces, a mixture of disbelief and betrayal washed over her, leaving her trembling with the intensity of her emotions.

With a painful gasp, Elen stumbled backwards, the weight of betrayal suffocating her. How could her own sister and the man she had loved and trusted for so long have orchestrated such a despicable charade? The anguish in her heart reverberated through every fiber of her being, the rawness of her hurt and anger echoing in her every breath.

As Addison sneered at her, his cruel lips twisting into a mocking arc, Elen's world felt as if it were crumbling around her. “We used you for your powers, Elen,” he spat, venom dripping from his every word. “You were nothing more than a means to an end for us.”

Her sister’s eyes glittered with malice, and her cold, callous words cut through the air like daggers. “You were so willing to trust us, to think that we cared for you,” Chiara sneered. “You’re a fool, Elen, and you always have been.”

Elen’s voice quivered as she confronted them, her desperate cry filled with disbelief and pain. "How could you both do this to me?"

Chiara’s lips curled into a contemptuous sneer as she fixed her gaze on Elen. "Hate? I hate your existence. I hate it because you have a power," she seethed, her voice laced with bitterness. "If only I had that power, father wouldn't have adopted you! Mother and father wouldn't have always fought!"

"I never wanted this power, Chiara," Elen whispered, her tone a mixture of sorrow and desperation. "I gave my everything to you, yet you throw me away. Did you really love me?"

A twisted smirk of disdain adorned Addison’s face as he proclaimed his callous truth. "I only used you. I never loved you because your existence is just a shame,” he sneered. "Imagine an imperial prince courting an adopted child whose birth is unknown? You’re just like the Adelsteins, a thorn in our eyes. By the way, thank you for your powers. Now, the throne will be mine."

Elen’s heart shattered with the undeniable cruelty of their words. "Adelstein? Why? Why did you kill them?" she beseeched them, her tears flowing freely.

"Father hated them, so I did too,” Addison declared callously. “They took something special from my father, and they were a threat to our position. And they paid for it.” His laughter filled the room, a chilling echo of his heartlessness. "It’s nice using you, Elen."

Tears streamed down Elen’s cheeks as her soul cried out in agony. “I loved you both,” she choked out, her voice cracking with pain. “How could you be so heartless?”

Addison’s hollow laughter reverberated through the chamber, an embodiment of the emptiness and treachery that had been exposed. "Love is a weakness, Elen,” he sneered. “We knew how to exploit it, and you fell right into our trap."

The cruelty of their betrayal struck Elen to her core, leaving her reeling and questioning everything she thought she knew. The pain of their callous manipulation cut deep, leaving her feeling lost and alone in a world that had suddenly turned hostile. But within her heart, a spark of determination began to take root, fueled by the injustice she had suffered, and a newfound resolve to rise above the cruel machinations that had ensnared her.

“Chiara, did you know that I was actually a Fairy?” Elen asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

“Well, everyone knew you were a fairy. I don’t understand why you didn’t realize it,” her sister replied, chuckling meanly at her. "Father decided to adopt you because he knew you were a fairy. Addison used you to gain the hearts of commoners. We just used your power for our own desires."

“How could you hide such a significant truth from me!” Elen yelled, her frustration and hurt evident.

“We didn’t hide it, you were just blind to see it,” Addison said, with a smug smile on their face. "Ah, yes, I remembered. All books about fairies are forbidden, that's why you don't have any idea about your birth."

As tears blurred her vision, Addison approached her, holding a vial containing a deadly substance. In a chilling manner, they said,

“Goodbye, Elen,“ and forced the Vial into her trembling mouth.

Elen’s heart raced in her chest as she finally comprehended their cruel intentions.

“No,“ she gasped, desperation in her voice. “Please, I trusted you!”

Her sister’s laughter echoed mercilessly as she watched Elen suffer. “Trust no one, dear sister. That’s the lesson you should have learned long ago.”

Agonizing pain coursed through Elen’s body, causing her to convulse and tremble. Aware that this was the end, she collapsed onto the ground, weeping uncontrollably. Betrayal and agony pushed her to the edge of madness. “If I had the chance to be reborn, I would ensure that those who caused me suffering would experience double the torment,“ she struggled to voice, breathless and trembling.

Through tear-filled eyes, Elen caught a glimpse of a figure in a nearby cell. The man, covered in blood, reached out his hands, pleading for release. “If there’s an afterlife, let’s join forces and seek vengeance for the grudges we hold,“ he whispered, his words piercing the cold air.

Soon, the world would discover the dire consequences of crossing a Fairy. Elen was determined to make sure her family and Addison faced the full extent of her newfound powers. No one would escape her wrath.