The firelight flickered across Lia's face as she sat in her chair, her expression soft and trusting. Her words-sister in all but blood-still echoed in my mind, a cruel reminder of the bond I had forged with her, the bond I was meant to destroy. My hands trembled as I pulled away from hers and turned to the window, needing the distance to think clearly.

The moonlit sea stretched endlessly before me, its surface calm and deceptive. It mirrored the turmoil inside me-the storm of doubt that had grown stronger with each passing year. My father's voice haunted me, his orders clear and unyielding: *Kill the princess when the time is right.* But what did *right* mean now? Lia wasn't just a target anymore; she was someone who had given me a sense of belonging I'd never known.

"You don't know what you're saying," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "You don't know who I really am."

Lia's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean? Of course I know who you are. You're my best friend. My sister in all but blood."

The word *sister* was like a dagger to my heart. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to remain steady as I stared out at the waves.

"Calli?" Lia's voice was small, uncertain. "What's wrong?"

I didn't answer immediately, my thoughts swirling with indecision. Could I tell her the truth? Could I risk everything-the fragile trust we'd built-for a chance at redemption? Or would revealing my secret only lead to disaster?

As I turned back to face her, my decision made, a flicker of movement caught my eye in the shadows behind Lia's chair. A glint of metal reflected in the firelight.

We weren't alone.

---

### THE ATTACK

The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning, and instinct took over. In one fluid motion, I lunged forward and grabbed Lia's arm, pulling her out of the chair just as a blade sliced through the air where she had been sitting moments before.

Lia screamed as she stumbled against me, her wide eyes darting toward the figure emerging from the shadows-a man cloaked in darkness, his face obscured but his intent unmistakable.

"Calliope!" she gasped, clutching at my arm.

I shoved her behind me, my hand already reaching for the dagger hidden beneath my skirts. The man stepped closer, his movements deliberate and predatory, and as he entered the light of the fire, his face became clear.

It was him-my father.

My breath caught in my throat as I stared at him, disbelief and fury warring within me. His eyes were cold and calculating, devoid of any warmth or remorse.

"You've failed your mission," he said quietly, his voice like ice. "You were supposed to kill her long ago."

Lia's gasp behind me was sharp and filled with confusion. "Calliope... what is he talking about?"

I couldn't answer her-not now. My focus was entirely on him, on the blade in his hand and the danger he represented.

"She trusts you," he continued, taking another step forward. "But trust is meaningless when duty calls."

"You don't know what you're doing," I said through gritted teeth, my grip tightening on my dagger.

"Oh, but I do," he replied smoothly. "If you won't finish what you started... then I will."

He lunged toward Lia with terrifying speed, but I was faster. My dagger met his blade mid-swing with a sharp clang that reverberated through the room. The force of his attack sent me staggering back slightly, but I held my ground.

"Run!" I shouted at Lia without looking back.

"No!" she cried out stubbornly. "I'm not leaving you!"

Her defiance only fueled my resolve as I parried another strike from my father's blade. He was relentless-every swing calculated to disarm or disable me-but years of training had prepared me for this moment.

"Why?" I demanded as our blades clashed again and again. "Why would you do this?"

"Because loyalty is weakness," he spat angrily. "You've grown soft-forgotten your purpose."

"I haven't forgotten anything," I snarled back. "But maybe you have."

With a sudden burst of strength fueled by desperation, I knocked his blade aside and drove mine into his shoulder. He grunted in pain but didn't falter; instead, he grabbed me by the wrist and twisted sharply, forcing me to drop my weapon.

I stumbled backward as he advanced again, his movements slower now but no less dangerous.

"You'll regret this," he hissed darkly.

But before he could strike again, Lia stepped forward-a look of fierce determination on her face-and hurled a heavy vase at him with all her strength. The impact sent him staggering sideways long enough for me to retrieve my dagger from where it had fallen.

This time... there would be no hesitation.

As he turned back toward us with murder in his eyes, I surged forward and plunged the blade into his chest with every ounce of strength I had left.

His expression shifted from rage to shock as he stumbled backward, clutching at the wound with trembling hands. Blood seeped through his fingers as he sank to his knees before collapsing onto the floor entirely.

The room fell silent except for Lia's ragged breathing behind me and the pounding of my own heart in my ears.

---

### THE AFTERMATH

"Calliope..." Lia's voice was barely above a whisper as she stepped closer cautiously. Her gaze flickered between me and the lifeless body on the floor-the man who had tried to kill her... and who had once been mine to obey.

"What... what just happened?" she asked shakily.

I turned to face her slowly, still clutching the bloodied dagger in my hand. My own reflection stared back at me from her wide eyes-haunted and broken.

"I..." My voice faltered as words failed me entirely.

Lia reached out hesitantly and placed a trembling hand on my arm-a gesture so simple yet so profound that it shattered what little composure I had left.

"I'll explain everything," I said finally, forcing myself to meet her gaze despite the weight of guilt crushing down on me. "But first... we need to leave this room."

Because while one enemy lay dead at our feet... others would surely come looking for answers soon enough-and neither of us could afford to be here when they did.

THIS IS THE ENDING OF THE FINAL CHAPTER
Not really the end chapter

"You don't know what you're saying," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "You don't know who I really am."

Lia's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean? Of course I know who you are. You're my best friend. My sister in all but blood."

The word 'sister' was like a dagger to my heart. I pulled my hands from hers and stood abruptly, needing to put distance between us.

"Calli?" Lia's voice was small, uncertain. "What's wrong?"

I stood with my back to her, staring out the window at the moonlit sea. In that moment, I knew I had a choice to make. I could continue my charade, complete my mission, and return to the cold embrace of my father's approval. Or I could tell Lia the truth and face the consequences.

As I turned back to face her, my decision made, I saw a flicker of movement in the shadows behind Lia's chair. A glint of metal in the firelight.

We weren't alone.