The digital countdown hovered before my eyes like a death sentence.
00:12:43…
Every second felt like it was hammering against my skull.
I paced the length of the apartment, my mind spinning faster than the ticking clock.
The Queen sat silently by the window, her crimson eyes following my every frantic move. She was calm—too calm.
"You're really just going to sit there?" I snapped, stopping in front of her.
She raised an eyebrow. "Would panicking help you survive the Court's Trial?"
I rubbed my hands through my hair. "You know something, don't you? About this trial. About me."
She stood slowly, walking over to me. Without warning, she grabbed my hand and placed it flat against her chest.
I could feel it—her heartbeat.
Strong. Steady. Unshaken.
"Do you feel that?" she whispered. "That's control. You have power, Liam. But without control, power is nothing but a death sentence."
I swallowed hard. My hands were shaking.
"I… I'm not ready for this."
She leaned in closer, her breath warm against my cheek.
"No one ever is. That's why it's called a Trial."
00:05:12…
The air grew heavier, the shadows in the corners of the room twitching unnaturally.
"If I fail…"
"You won't," she interrupted, her voice firm. "Because I'll be there. Even if I have to break through the Court's gates myself."
Her fingers intertwined with mine, holding on tightly as the final seconds ticked away.
00:00:03… 00:00:02… 00:00:01…
The card in my hand dissolved into a cloud of black mist.
A portal formed before me—twisting shadows swirling like a living storm, pulling at my very soul.
[System Notification: Trial Commencing…]
The Queen squeezed my hand once more.
"Whatever you see in there, Liam… remember one thing."
I turned to her, my heart hammering in my chest.
"You're not alone anymore."
And then—the shadows swallowed me whole.
To Be Continued…