We didn’t speak as we walked back through the palace corridors.The crystal floors reflected our distorted images — blood-streaked, paint-smeared, exhausted. The torches along the walls flickered softly, their light catching the dried crimson on our skin.I wanted to say something.About the king.About the queen.About the way she had looked at him when she said he would always be beneath them.But one glance at Timi was enough.His jaw was tight. His eyes were distant. Not angry — not anymore.Hurt.Deeply.So I stayed quiet.And he stayed quiet.And the only sound between us was the soft echo of our footsteps.When we reached the physician’s wing, we turned the corner—And nearly collided with him at the entrance.The man dressed in white steadied himself, his robes brushing against the marble wall. Up close, I could see faint stains of darkened blood on his sleeves.“How is he?” I asked immediately.The physician exhaled slowly.“The wolf venom was… unlike anything I have encounte

The dungeon doors slammed shut behind us with a hollow metallic echo.Cold air wrapped around my skin.They didn’t separate us this time.They chained us side by side against the stone wall — thick white-silver shackles around our wrists, heavier restraints binding our ankles, long chains running through iron loops bolted into the rock. Even the wall itself seemed dusted with powdered silver.Precautions.Juliet shifted uncomfortably beside me, the chains scraping.“I can’t believe we are chained up again.”Despite everything, I chuckled.“This time is different though.”She glanced at me.“We willingly got chained up the first time,” I continued, dragging the chain slightly to test its give.The moment I pulled, pain tore through my wrists. The silver sizzled faintly against my skin, a sharp burning sensation that forced me to stop.“But this time…” I finished, flexing my jaw against the sting, “…purely against our will.”Juliet exhaled sharply. “Did you know about the silver chains?

Hours passed in silence before the wheels finally touched the ground.Paris.The plane taxied across the runway and came to a smooth stop near a private hangar. When the door opened, a rush of cool evening air filled the cabin — softer, alive, nothing like the frozen emptiness we had left behind.We stepped down onto the tarmac.Almost immediately, several men in white lab coats approached us, confusion written all over their faces.One of them adjusted his glasses and spoke first.“Qui êtes-vous ? Cet avion transporte un colis confidentiel.”I smiled calmly.“Nous sommes les VVIP.”They exchanged puzzled glances.Another man frowned slightly.“Les VVIP ? Nous n’avons reçu aucune information concernant des passagers.”I kept my expression relaxed.“Bien sûr que si. Vous avez été informés. Vérifiez encore.”The first man hesitated.“Nous… ce vol ne transporte normalement personne. Il est réservé au matériel fragile.”I took one small step forward, voice steady.“Exactement. Et nous fai

“Goddamn it,” I muttered as I stared down at the field of bodies. Or what was left of them. The corpses were blackened beyond recognition, their flesh burned and cracked like charcoal. Some of them were barely more than shapes now, twisted and frozen in the positions they died in. I crouched beside one of them and studied it carefully. Then I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. I tapped one out, placed it between my lips, and brought out a lighter from my back pocket. The flame flickered in the cold air before the cigarette caught. I inhaled slowly. Behind me, I heard footsteps approaching. “Captain, you asked for me?” I didn’t turn around immediately. Instead, I exhaled a long stream of smoke into the air before speaking. “Yeah.” I gestured toward the field with the cigarette between my fingers. “What do you think about this mess right here?” My lieutenant stepped forward and looked around at the bodies scattered across the ground. He exam

We continued walking through the quiet Paris streets, the group chatting and laughing as if nothing unusual had happened tonight. Conversations overlapped with the music fading behind us, the faint echo of the carnival still lingering in the distance. Maria, walking slightly ahead of the others, seemed particularly fixated on me. “So… what do you do back in Nigeria?” she asked, tilting her head with curiosity. “Do you work, or… are you studying?” I gave a casual shrug. “A bit of both, I guess. I like to keep myself busy.” She leaned closer, her blue eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “What about hobbies? Do you play sports, video games, anything?” I smiled faintly, trying to seem relaxed. “I like exploring, traveling… seeing new places. That’s about it for now.” Her curiosity didn’t stop. “And, uh… are you single? You travel with a bunch of cousins?” Before I could answer, my attention was drawn elsewhere. Olivier was leaning slightly toward Ayara, talking quietly and gesturing w