Chapter Text
Confusion was a feeling Raeliana was all too acquainted with- what with being reborn in a novel, it took her quite some time to get accustomed with her new life. Though sometimes she yearned to go back to how it was before, to go back to that moment on the roof when she finally got accepted to a university; if only she hadn’t been killed, had noticed the man standing there, had done things differently, she could have been living a much easier life that she had always dreamed of.
Shaking her head, she broke out of her stupor, returning instead to the embroidery in her hands. She rarely let herself dwell on the past, on all the “what if”s, instead focusing on making the most of this new life she was given. It wasn’t as if she didn’t enjoy it- she had successfuly managed to stay alive, and living with the duke, Noah, wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. These days, it almost seemed as if he cared for her, though Raeliana avoided dwelling on that fact too much, fearing it was just a product of her own delusion. It was true that over time, she had grown to like his presence-like how he always showed up in time to help her, how we always managed to look unbearingly attractive, with his raven hair and gold eyes. She would be lying if she said she wouldn’t be happy if it turned out the duke cared for her, and there were times when it seemed like he did, but what about Beatrice…?
Suddenly, shouts pulled Raeliana out of her thoughts. She hurriedly got up, heart thumping as she heard loud noises all around her. Were those- no, it couldn’t be. Just as she was about to go outside, the door to her room burst open, Noah running inside with Adam trailing closely behind him, the two covered with blood. Before she could get a word out, she was cut off by Noah's voice, urgent and pained,
“Enemies, we’re surrounded. Raeliana, you have to run-”
His words died in his throat as the unmistakable sound of gunshots echoed through the mansion. Noah turned to Adam, silently nodding, prompting him to run out of the room towards the noises, while Noah hurriedly grabbed Raeliana’s hand, pulling her behind him.
“Where are we going? What about Adam? Are you hurt?”
Noah shook his head, not slowing their pace as he answered,
“Secret exit, I need you to stay alive. Adam will be fine, he’s dealt with far worse.”
The two hurriedly made their way through unfamiliar passages, Noah not once letting go of her hand. Meanwhile, Raeliana’s thoughts raced. Who were the enemies? Was this about the royal seal, or something else?
“Sh, stop. Do you hear that?” Noah whispered quietly, face inches from hers as he pulled her against his chest, hiding behind a pillar as footsteps echoed from a few feet away. Dread spread through her, along with the itch to fight, to do something. After all she had done to stay alive-all the planning, the contracts-she refused for it all to end like this.
But it seemed her pleas were left unheard. Before either of them could even move, gunshots rang out through the air, the last sound she heard being the pained inhale of Noah beside her, before the world went black.