CHAPTER 1461: THE HOLLOW HAVEN

Lydia heard the hiss of water from the bathroom, the steady rhythm of the shower covering her movements. She slipped to Jasmine’s bed, pulling the Versipal Potion from where she had stuffed it inside her rolled-up, sweat-stained clothes. Her brows furrowed and her chest tightened as she wondered where to hide the potions.

Her eyes flicked around the room to find the right place. Then her eyes stopped at the wooden chair near her; it was the study chair in front of her study desk. Her eyes lit up, no one would think to check the chair.

Lydia rummaged through the drawer, then found a tape, then she crouched quickly, tearing strips of tape and pressed the potion under the chair and secured it with the tape. Her fingers worked with nervous urgency as she fastened the glass vials beneath the chair.

Her eyes kept glancing at the bathroom as she ripped the tape that sounded too loud; she subconsciously bit her lips. Finally, she was done; she blew her cheeks, then pushed the chair back into place.

Then all of a sudden, a voice suddenly cut into her head, sharp and unexpected. "Are you okay?"

Lydia jolted, her hand snapping to her chest. The chair nearly scraped against the floor as she whipped her head around frantically, but no one was here.

"Don’t be afraid. Your heartbeat is spiking like crazy, you’ll give yourself a heart attack if you keep this up."

Recognition flickered across her face, "Mr. Thornbery...?" she whispered, the faintest note of relief in her voice.

"Yes. Don’t worry, no one heard my voice but you," Jay calmed her down

"But how did you—"

"The watch isn’t only for tracking your location, it also monitors your vitals just in case you were under duress or hurt. Other than that, it also works as communication. But keep this short. I don’t want the enemy caugh a foreign signal inside the White Rose and risk your safety even more."

She swallowed and nodded. "Understood, sir."

"So, how’s the situation?" Jay’s tone was calm and relaxed; as a result, Lydia tensed and slowly subsided.

Her eyes darted to the bathroom door, steam still curling from beneath it. She whispered, almost mouthing the words, "Nothing unusual so far... but after training, they gave us a weird potion. They said it’s to restore our mana, but I had a bad feeling about it, so I didn’t drink it."

"What does it look like?" Jay sounds curious.

"It was Dark red, like a red wine but thicker, and everyone else seemed used to it. My roommate said it tasted good, but I don’t want to risk it, my roommate’s name is Amy, she said the potion was produced by the organization, so...."

Jay’s silence for a moment before he speaks again. "...I see, if you able,e can you take the sample of the potion, I will make someone retrieve it from you."

"I’ll try, Sir," Lydia said.

" Okay, don’t push it, anyway, keep yourself safe." Jay didn’t want to burden Lydia more than she already had, after all, Lydia had never been trained to do any of this.

Lydia understood Jay’s intention, and despite the urgency in his voice, a warmth spread through her chest, knowing they’re all looking out for me. For a fleeting moment, the fear pressing in on her eased.

"Yes, sir," she whispered.

The signal cut off with a soft click, leaving her in silence, silence that lasted only a heartbeat, before the bathroom door swung open. Then a wave of steam billowed into the room, carrying the clean scent of soap. Amy emerged in a bathrobe, towel ruffling through her damp hair, cheeks still pink from the heat.

"Mmm, I feel so fresh!" she chirped, her cheer slicing through the tension.

Lydia’s pulse spiked. She gasped, caught off guard, but quickly smoothed her expression, sliding a calm mask over her face.

"Well," she said, steadying her voice, "Everyone says a warm shower does wonders after a long day."

"Exactly!" Amy’s face lit up with joy, her smile as bright as sunlight.

Lydia’s smile twitched, wondering what Amy does in the shower, isn’t she too happy for someone who just got out of the hot shower?

Amy slipped into a simple white uniform that looked different from the ceremonial attire they had worn earlier, though it had the same design theme, but this one was plain, almost casual, yet still too uniform, too calculated.

She hummed softly under her breath, a cheerful little tune as she rubbed her hair with the towel, then turned to her skincare routine with the ease of someone who had done it a hundred times before.

Her cheeks glowed, her eyes sparkled with contentment.

Lydia sat quietly, stealing glances at her. From the moment they had met, Amy had radiated the same unshakable sweetness.

Always bubbly, always smiling, as if wrapped in cotton candy, soft, light, impossible to grasp. At first, it was disarming, even comforting.

But the longer Lydia watched, the stranger it felt. How could someone never whine or complain the whole day, even once?

When Amy finally slipped on her shoes and smoothed her uniform, she bounced to her feet with a brightness that made Lydia’s stomach tighten. "Ready?" she asked, as though nothing in the world could possibly be wrong.

Together, they left the room and walked the sterile corridors toward the dining hall. A big dining hall with various buffets laid beautifully, served by a professional chef and served by servants. It looks like a buffet in a high-end hotel.

But that’s how life in White Rose feels. Every bell, every light, every word of instruction was part of an invisible hand that guided their lives.

The organization controlled everything: what they ate, what they drank, the clothes on their backs, the tasks they performed, even the very hours they were allowed to hear their family’s voices. All of it cloaked under the same suffocating phrase: for your own good.

In the past, Lydia had lived the same way. She had accepted everything as if it were natural, the strict routines, the rigid order; she accepted it without question, for it had been her whole world, and she had believed it was right, it was normal.

But after she decide to leave the organization for good, her life had changed. Not like the short adventure she experienced before, this time is different, she had no turning back. Together with Owen and Daniel, she had tasted the forgotten feeling, the messy, unpredictable situation, when every step and every move brimming with risk, chaos, and yet, excitement.

Funny how, each time she brushed against death, she had never felt more alive, or more free.

And then she met her, Princess Lorient. From her, Lydia learned what true bravery looked like, how resilience was forged, and how compassion could endure even amidst chaos and danger.

She met people from every walk of life, wandered through places she had never imagined, and her worldview burst open like a gate flung wide. Like a shooting star, she had come so far she could never go back.

Yet, watching Amy and the other healers, Lydia saw how small and constrained their world remained. They could not see that they were caged.

Jasmine was right, they were indeed like cattle, fattened and placid, waiting for slaughter without ever knowing when or why.

Pity and sorrow crept into Lydia’s chest, tightening it with a dull ache. As she followed Amy to enter the luxurious dining room, she could not shake the sense that she was staring at a reflection of her former self,and the realization unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.

Everyone lined up neatly for their meals, then dispersed to their assigned rooms. At first glance, it seemed like they could take whatever they wanted, but the portions were carefully measured, enough for a balanced diet, yet never excessive. It was a system designed to prevent overeating, to keep every body in order.

Lydia stared at the tray before her, a faint crease forming between her brows. After having tasted what it meant to take control of her own life, the thought of being controlled again, even in something as simple as food, me her felt suffocating.

She forced herself to eat anyway, swallowing down more than just her meal. As she glanced around at the other healers, a different unease stirred in her chest.

Not one of them looked tired, restless, or disinterested. They were all smiling, chatting softly, radiating cheerfulness as though it came naturally.

’So strange.’

Lydia tried to convince herself she was only being sensitive; nevertheless, Jasmine’s words linger in her head, make her uneasy. Then, suddenly,y a few senior healers came to her desk, then one by one, placed golden goblets brimming with red wine in front of her, but not just her.

Lydia saw Amy and everyone who had been chosen to accept the blessing the next few days received the golden goblet.

Their eyes lit with joy while the other healer looked at them with an envious look, still, they all looked happy for their fellow who had been chosen. But Lydia feel her blood turn cold.

She stared at the red wine that looked a bit darker and reminded her of the potion she got earlier. She wondered could it be, the same one with the potion earlier. Immediately, a bad premonition struck her like a bullet through her chest, and soon after, her heartbeat was hammering erratically.

Yet everyone around her beamed with delight, their expression full of bliss and pride. They lifted their cups with eager smiles, then drank the whole cup with pure joy.

Lydia’s hand that clenched the goblet tightened. She could feel the weight of every senior healer’s gaze pressing down on her, their smiles fixed, expectant, as though her refusal was unthinkable.

Trapped, Lydia knew she could not get away from this, she took a deep breath, then pulled herself together. After that, she lifted the cup and drained it in one long swallow.

Only then did their expressions soften, their smiles blooming into something disturbingly genuine.

The room erupted with clapping and cheers. Amy laughed with the others, her face radiant, while Lydia forced her lips into a smile, swallowing hard against the bile rising in her throat.

"Good. Very good," Dominique Hartley declared, raising her hands in triumph. "This special drink is a celebration, for all of you chosen by the gods, for the greater good of our world and of humankind. Rejoice!" Her words rang out like a command, and the hall answered with thunderous applause, every voice lifted in devotion.

Meanwhile, Lydia fought the urge to vomit.