Sofia's POV
"Who's that?" I asked as I quickly opened the door.
I gripped the handle with both hands, blocking the entrance. But he didn't care—he pushed the door open and barged in like he owned the place.
"You know you could've stayed outside and talked, right?" I said, following behind him like a soldier following orders.
He made himself at home, glancing around like my room was some throne hall. Then, without warning, he poked at my bedsheets with his middle finger. "Why does your room look so unkempt?" he asked, disgust curling his lips.
I snatched the sheet from his hand and threw it back on the bed. "This is my room, not your throne. Stay away from my stuff," I snapped, rolling my eyes hard enough to strain them.
"Really?" he said with a smirk, clearly amused.
God, I wanted to throw him out. He was getting on every nerve I had. "If you don't want to talk, then use the damn door," I said, pointing at it with pure attitude.
"Nightshade agreed to help us," he said finally, his voice lower now. "After I explained everything to him."
Oh. So that's why he thought I might've told Grandma. He suspected I ran my mouth.
"Are you sure he's capable?" I asked, worried. The last thing I wanted was someone turning against us.
"He's been my friend since childhood. I know what he can do. He's the perfect fit for this mission," Adam replied with confidence that didn't sit well with me.
I didn't trust Nightshade. Something about him felt off. But if Adam believed he was the best option, then what choice did I really have?
"If you say so… So, what's next?" I asked, reluctantly.
He blinked at me like I'd grown horns. "I should be asking you that," he said.
I went silent for a while, thinking. Then I muttered, "It's late already. Tomorrow, I'll show him my friend's picture. That's the first step."
Adam stood up slowly, grinning like an idiot. "Alright, my Luna," he said with a playful bow.
I turned to change my clothes, but stopped when I saw him still staring at me like I was on display. "Can you leave? I need to change."
"Oh, sorry. I thought we were going together for night food," he said, flashing that annoying smile.
I stormed to the door and yanked it open. "You can go. I'll join you when I'm done."
The moment he stepped out, I slammed the door shut and flopped onto the bed.
I was exhausted. Grandma had dragged me all over the place earlier, and my body felt like it had been hit by a truck. I tried to stop thinking about what happened today—but the memories kept coming back, haunting me.
I remembered how my husband used to look at me—how he used to love me before we even picked a wedding date.
Too many thoughts. Too many memories. And just like that, sleep took over me.
---
A knock woke me up.
It was morning already.
"Ma! Are you awake?" a voice called from outside. It sounded familiar. Too familiar.
I didn't want to get up. The sleep was too good. I stayed silent, hoping whoever it was would leave.
"Ma, are you awake?" the voice came again.
I sighed, defeated. "I'm coming, give me a few minutes," I said groggily and dragged myself to the bathroom.
Of course it was her—my personal maid. The one who got on my nerves more than anyone else.
I didn't take too long. When I looked in the mirror, nothing had changed—except maybe I'd gained a little weight.
I threw on a nice dress and opened the door. "Good morning, ma," she greeted with a bow.
"Morning," I mumbled.
I turned to leave, but she blocked me again. "Ma, you need to wear your training clothes."
Ugh. Training again? I thought I could sneak straight to the dining room—don't judge me, I've been turning into a foodie lately.
"This morning again? Can't we skip till tomorrow?" I asked, pouting like a child.
She looked at me with pity, but her words didn't care. "The King is already waiting for you."
Ugh. I stomped off to change, fuming. Within minutes, I was dressed in my training outfit and stormed off to the training room, leaving her behind.
---
To my surprise, I saw Nightshade and Adam already sparring in their training clothes. Wait—when did Nightshade start training?
They stopped the moment they saw me enter.
If I didn't have a task for Nightshade, I swear I would've kicked him out.
"Good morning, Luna," Nightshade greeted.
I faked a smile. "Good morning."
I looked at Adam, expecting a greeting. Instead, he turned away and went to sit on a long bench. Nightshade followed him like a lost puppy.
That ticked me off.
I marched over and stood right in front of Adam, arms folded. "Can't you see me?" I snapped.
He looked up, unbothered. "Yeah, I see you. Lazy ass who's not ready to take back what's hers," he said and took a sip of water.
That stung. I bit my tongue. This isn't home, I reminded myself. Stay calm.
"I'm sorry. I got carried away. I didn't mean to sleep off," I said, my voice softening as I asked for forgiveness.
"It's fine," he said. "Let's talk about the picture. Do you have it?"
I quickly unlocked my phone and showed it to him. He snatched it and passed it to Nightshade without even asking.
"Okay," Nightshade said and asked Adam to send the photo to his phone.
"Can we train now?" I said, already itching for a fight to let out my anger.
Adam stood up, finally looking energized. Just as we were about to begin…
A scream ripped through the air.