The girl stared back at me from the mirror, pink hair spilling over her shoulders like a rose-hued waterfall, eyes the color of cyan glass with hints of green—familiar yet strange.
I was Alyssara Velcroix, Chief Advisor to the Lord of the Southern Sea Sun Palace, wielder of power that made Immortal-rankers tremble, Cult Leader of the Red Chalice.
I was also...someone else.
My hand pressed against the cool surface of the mirror, as if trying to reach through to that other self that hovered at the edges of my consciousness. The memories came in fragments lately—disjointed scenes, emotions without context, a face with blue eyes that made my heart ache with a longing I couldn't understand.
Arthur Nightingale.
His name sent ripples through my mind, disturbing the careful order I'd maintained for decades. When I looked at him, something inside me recognized him—not as prey, not as a pawn, but as something essential that I had lost.
