Raven’s vision blurred, her eyes adjusting to the shadows of the room. Relief washed over her as she recognized Lady Selene's presence. She could feel soft hands wrapping around her waist, steadying her weakened body. The poison had left her legs unsteady.

“We must make haste, my dear. I do not know if the vines can reach us here,” Lady Selene said, her voice calm but laced with urgency.

“Lad—y Se-le-ne,” Raven struggled, her words slurring. “Marcellus… Raphael…”

Selene’s face grew somber. “Raphael is not here. He is elsewhere, attending to other matters.” Her tone was both reassuring and guarded. “But do not worry about him now. Your safety is the Royal Order’s priority.”

Raven’s vision darkened as she fought to stay conscious. “Marcellus…?”

“Shhh,” Lady Selene murmured softly, brushing a strand of hair from Raven’s face. “do not fret, my Luna. Marcellus is not far behind. The enchantments of the palace may shield us temporarily, but we must keep moving. The poison nor the vines will wait.” Her voice, though composed, seemed distant as Raven fought to maintain her senses.

Selene guided her swiftly through the labyrinthine corridors of the palace. Shadows clung thickly to the walls as they pressed on, the passages narrowing as they delved deeper into the cavernous palace. Raven’s legs grew heavier with each step, and she clung to Selene’s hand, leaning against the cold stone walls for support. Faint, muffled screams echoed in the distance, quickening her pulse. The corridor had grown so narrow that Selene was almost dragging her forward.

“Not much farther now,” Selene’s voice was hushed but resolute. “We shall take an ancient path, one known only to those of the highest order.” She moved with grace, despite the weight of Raven pulling on her arm. “Do not falter, my dear. We are close. Come, now.”

Raven’s body trembled, the poison gnawing at her strength. Lady Selene’s voice seemed distant as she struggled to follow. The air felt dense, suffocating her as she stumbled, releasing Selene’s hand and slumping against the wall to catch her breath. Her muscles ached, but she sensed that the poison had reached its peak—it could not weaken her more than it already had. Yearning for a moment of rest, Raven let her body slide to the ground, her back against the stone as she gasped for breath.

“Raven, you must stand. Can you rise?” Lady Selene had quickly noticed Raven’s delay and was kneeling beside her, her voice still gentle but urgent. “We must continue. I am about to use a powerful spell to carry us through the hidden gate. Please, stand. I know you are weary, but we cannot linger here.”

Raven nodded with determination, summoning what little strength she had left. With Selene’s help, she struggled to her feet and they continued forward. The path was now so narrow that they could barely move or breathe. The walls scratched at her arms and legs, but she barely noticed as she focused on moving forward. Finally, they reached the end of the path, which led to a dark, small square opening that Selene stepped into.

Raven hesitated, her heart pounding in her chest. The ground behind them trembled ominously, and a chilling crack echoed through the narrow corridor. They watched in fear as a deep red vine began to creep through the floor. The vine spread menacingly, its tendrils unfurling with a sinister rustle, causing cracks to spiderweb across the floor. The vine’s thorns, glinting wickedly, dripped with dark venom.

“We are out of time,” Selene’s voice cut through the chaos, urgent and commanding. “Come!” She seized Raven’s arm and yanked her closer. With the vine’s thorns already piercing through the cracks and lashing out like living spears, there was no room left for hesitation.

Raven pressed against Selene, every muscle in her body straining to stay upright as the Lady guided her into the tight space.

“Please, relax,” Selene whispered, her voice soothing. “I will not let them harm you. I am more capable than I appear.” She placed her elegant hands against the ancient stone wall before them. “This may hurt a bit, but I shall be with you.”

With a delicate incantation, blue light bloomed from Selene’s fingertips, wrapping them both in shimmering ice as glowing blue runes covered the wall before whisking them away.

The ice shattered.

Pain—exquisite and searing—tore through Raven’s body. She could not move, could not think. Her muscles screamed as if the ice had burned her from within, every fiber aflame.

Gasping for air, Raven realized they were no longer within the palace walls. Her breath came in ragged heaves.

“Forgive me, my Luna,” Lady Selene said softly. “The pain will fade soon. My family’s magic is that of ice, and I had no choice but to imbue you with a little to bring you through the portal.”

Raven groaned, her body still trembling as she pushed herself onto her hands and knees. The agony lingered, but they had escaped.

“I regret the pain, my dear. The sensation will fade soon. My family’s magic—cold as it is—was necessary to bring us through the portal,” Lady Selene’s voice was soothing, though Raven sensed an undercurrent of urgency.

Raven groaned as she struggled to her hands and knees, every inch of her body aching. Selene extended a hand, helping her rise shakily to her feet.

“Come, child, to the water’s edge. Drink,” Selene instructed, her tone gentle yet commanding. “It will help stabilize the magic surging within you.”

Raven’s thoughts were fogged with pain, but she let Lady Selene guide her. They neared a small pond, the surface still and dark, reflecting the faint moonlight. Something about the place felt familiar, but the pain dulled her ability to remember. Kneeling beside her, The Lady supported Raven as she dipped her trembling hands into the water. The liquid felt cool and soothing against her skin. With the first sip, Raven felt the sharpness of her agony begin to dull, as though the water was quelling the violent clash of poison and magic within her.

Raven slumped over the pool of water, looking up at Selene, who smiled and helped her scoop more water into her hands. It was difficult to drink while lying on her stomach.

“Let me help you, dear.” Selene cupped her left hand and dipped it into the water, bringing it to Raven's lips. “You look so much like her—your mother, I mean.”

Lady Selene stood, leaving Raven slumped at the water's edge. “It’s been such a long while since I’ve even said her name—Lyra. The beauty of a century,” Lady Selene said, staring up at the stars, her voice faltering.

Raven could barely hold herself up, struggling to look at The Lady as she began to pace, gazing up at the stars, her eyes glazed as if lost in another place.

“You know, Lyra and I were great friends once. So beautiful, so fair, with her curly hair and just a slight patch of silver at her right ear. So beautiful, so unique.” Lady Selene’s eyes, once glowing blue, darkened suddenly as she turned sharply to Raven. “You look a lot like her, you know, but then again, you look a lot like your father as well... hmm, perhaps the perfect combination, as it should be.”

Selene took two steps towards Raven, crouching beside her once more and dipping her hand into the water. She raised it to Raven's lips, who struggled to turn her head.

"Now, now... you must drink, my dear, or you will never recover fast enough."

She forced the water into Raven’s mouth, and Raven sipped to avoid choking. As she drank, Lady Selene stepped back, pulling a ceremonial knife from behind her back. The intricate markings on the blade mirrored those Raven had seen when she and Dante first entered Amber City.

“You know, it is rumored that this is the very dagger that ended the life of your mother and father,” Lady Selene said, her eyes filled with tears and sadness. "We grew up together in the mountains. We looked so much alike that I was... what you would call a decoy. But only she could marry your father. Only she could be Alistair’s.”

Raven watched as Lady Selene’s eyes turned cold. She couldn’t move away. “I loved your father too, you know. I loved Lyra the most... until I hated her. I don’t know if I cried when I heard the news that she had died, but I cried when I heard you were born.”

Lady Selene spat at the ground before looking down at Raven. This time, her face seemed twisted with anger as she cradled the ceremonial knife. Raven could feel some strength returning to her body, but she could not seem to move away from the water's edge. Something was wrong with Lady Selene, as she paced back and forth, cradling the knife, staring up at the sky.

“I have to move away from here,” Raven thought, struggling to command her body.

“Aht, aht. No moving, my dear Luna. You can only drink the water.” Lady Selene moved forward towards Raven and knelt beside her. “Drink up, my dear, then we can move on from this place.” She glanced over Raven, looking into the distance. “I see the vines will soon catch up to us.”

The Lady dipped her hand once more into the water, raising it to Raven’s lips, firmly cupping Raven’s head to force her to drink.

“Yes, my Luna. That’s it. Now, let’s see if we can stand.”

She lifted Raven to her knees. Raven felt a lingering fear as Lady Selene hugged her close. She couldn’t see as Lady Selene raised the knife and pierced Raven’s right shoulder. Raven screamed in pain before Lady Selene cruelly shoved her into the water.

The water enveloped Raven quickly. The shock of pain rendered her helpless as she sank deeper into the lake. She could faintly hear Lady Selene’s distant screams, which echoed Raven’s own despair. The events happened so fast, too quickly for Raven to react as she fell into the icy pool. As she sank deeper, she realized they were at the forbidden lake hidden in the forest—where she had once followed Ghea.

Panic set in as she felt the lake pulling her downward. A murky face began to appear below her—

the water goddess.

She wanted to scream, but her voice was caught in her throat as pain radiated through her body and terror filled her.

The water goddess appeared as before, now in a deeper rage. Raven tried to move away, but the water goddess smiled before engulfing her completely, pulling her deeper into the dark, endless water.

Closing her eyes, she let herself fall deeper into the water, surrendering to the murky depths. “Oh, how I dreamed of turning eighteen and striking out on my own,” she thought, no longer concerned with preserving air as the violent pull of the water took her deeper. She waited for the tightness in her chest to come.