CHAPTER 107: WE SHALL ALL PERISH

Lilith frowned, her voice shaking. "Who is he? Who is going to kill us all?"

Charlotte’s lips parted, but no words came out. Her mouth moved in desperation, as if trying to force the answer through the blood bubbling in her throat. But it was too late—the light had already drained from her eyes.

"Charlotte..." Lilith’s voice cracked as she gave her a gentle shake. "Charlotte, please wake up..."

No response.

Only silence and the steady roar of the fire behind her.

Lilith’s heart clenched as tears welled in her eyes. "No... no, this can’t be happening." She placed a trembling hand over Charlotte’s face, gently closing her eyes before rising shakily to her feet.

She wandered forward in a daze, lost and heartbroken, when suddenly, a cold hand shot out and seized her arm, yanking her back.

Lilith gasped and spun around. It was a woman, but not just any woman. It was the same woman from her dreams. Only this time, she wasn’t helpless. She wasn’t sad. She was furious.

Her eyes glowed with hatred, dark veins spreading across her pale face. Her presence radiated with raw, chilling power.

"I begged you to save us," the woman spat, her voice like venom. "And you handed us over to the devil. You were supposed to be our saviour."

Lilith stumbled back in alarm. "W-What? What are you talking about?"

"You were chosen to help us," the woman hissed. "But you doomed us all. Now we burn. Now we die!"

Black blood began to pour from her eyes like ink, streaking down her cheeks.

Lilith’s pulse raced. "I—I don’t know what you mean! I don’t understand!"

She tried to pull away, but the woman’s grip tightened, digging into her skin.

"We shall all perish!" the woman shrieked, and suddenly it wasn’t just her voice. It was hundreds even thousands of voices all chanting the same thing at once.

’We shall all perish. We shall all perish. We shall all perish.’

The air vibrated with their cries.

"Let me go!" Lilith screamed, yanking her arm with all her strength. The woman finally released her, sending Lilith stumbling backward. "You have to explain—!"

The woman’s expression shifted in an instant.

The fury drained from her face, replaced by sheer terror. Her eyes widened like saucers, her skin turning bone-white. Her lips trembled, and her whole body seemed to collapse inward.

"H-He’s coming for us," she whispered, voice shaking with dread. "He knows you are here, he is coming."

Lilith turned sharply to look behind her, but saw nothing.

"What are you talking abou—?"

She turned back.

The woman was gone, gone without a trace. And now, there was nothing. No fire. No screams. No smoke. No corpses.

Just silence.

The kind of silence that made one ears ring.

Lilith’s breath hitched as she slowly turned around again and froze. Her heart plummeted. A figure stood a short distance away, and it was a man.

His back was turned to her. He wore a flowing black cloak that swept the ground. His dark hair was short and slick, and he stood deathly still, as if carved from stone.

Lilith’s feet moved against her will.

She was being pulled toward him.

Her body felt heavier with each step, as though invisible weights were being stacked on her shoulders. Her breathing grew ragged. Sweat trickled down her forehead and neck, her knees threatening to buckle.

Still, she moved closer.

Every fiber of her being screamed to stop—but she couldn’t.

When she was close enough, she reached out with trembling fingers to touch his shoulder—

But just before she could make contact, her legs gave out. She crumpled to the ground, her vision spinning, everything turning to haze.

The man turned to face her. But she couldn’t see his face. Everything was blurry.

Then a voice deep and smooth like velvet soaked in malice whispered, "Oh, dear Lilith... I cannot wait to meet you."

Everything went black.

~~~

Lilith forced her eyes open, gasping for air. The sharp sting of smoke still lingered in her throat, making her cough violently as she clutched her sore neck. Once her breathing steadied, she looked around and realized she was back in her room. This time, the fireplace was lit, its flames dancing gently over the burning logs.

She let out a long, shaky sigh of relief, fingers digging into her hair. The confusion swirled like a storm in her mind. What had that dream meant? Who was the man—this ominous figure she’d now seen twice? His words echoed in her head, wrapping around her with fear.

When she looked at the clock, It was 5 a.m.

Lilith knew she wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep—not with that haunting vision looming behind her eyelids. Her heart still raced from the terror, the vivid images refusing to fade. It was the most horrifying dream she’d had in a very long time.

Though her throat burned, desperate for water, she couldn’t bring herself to venture to the kitchen alone. Not in the dark. Not after that dream. So she remained in bed, curled beneath the blanket, her knees drawn to her chest, staring blankly at the wall.

She must have drifted into a daze, because when she finally glanced at the clock again, it was 6:30 a.m. Dawn had broken, and the castle was beginning to stir with soft footsteps and distant voices.

Lilith felt slightly calmer now. She made her way to the kitchen and returned with a jug of water—enough to last her through the day. She wasn’t in the mood to speak to anyone and prayed no one would come looking for her, especially the prince.

After freshening up, she took her time to get dressed and styled her hair. Then she settled by the window, book in hand, letting the story draw her away from the lingering image of Charlotte’s lifeless body—an image burned into her memory, always at the edge of her vision.

Three hours passed. The clock now marked noon.

Her stomach growled loudly. She’d tried to ignore it, hoping to avoid leaving the walls of her room, but hunger gnawed at her relentlessly. With a sigh, Lilith placed her book back on the dresser and stood.

She stepped out of her chamber, quietly closing the door behind her.