to be done for those who wish to follow my rulership."
"Does your father approve of your attempt?"
"I'm unsure," I admitted. "However, my mother is in grave danger as are the rest of the fae kingdoms if Wilfried proceeds to get what he wishes. The hate he's instilling in the controlled minds of humans is only going to grow until war is inevitable. War between humans, fae, and supernaturals. Blood will be shed no matter if you let us in or not, but do you want to be the one to hinder our chances of salvation?"
"The world isn't ending over a selfish man."
"You're correct," I agreed. "The world will end the moment he achieves the Great Summoning, and I so happen to be one of the halves he needs to accomplish such."
That silenced the voice, and suddenly, I was completely alone as the misty world shifted into a dark room. I noticed beneath my feet was some sort of magic symbol, but my eyes widened when I recognized the very design of the tattoo that marked my arm.
"This design."
"You recognize it."
I lifted my head to see a tall, slender man beneath a red cloak. He was all bone, as if he'd been starving his entire life and lacking vitamin D from the sun. The cloak only added to his eerie appearance, but I didn't fear him.
He sat upon a black throne, one wrapped in black vines with withered roses and leaves. Bones were scattered across the floor, but the only thing that wasn't covered in debris and waste was the path before me that had four different magic circles.
Each carried a symbol within them, one that surely had a hidden meaning of value. They led to the very throne the frail man sat upon, and he watched me with great interest as his sunken eyes narrowed to take in my figure from head to toe.
"I do," I replied, and lowered Omarion's jacket that rested on my shoulders enough for him to see the tattoo that began to glow lightly at our attention.
"So the dragon god did not lie," he quietly stated and smiled enough for me to see his toothless gums. "Now we must determine if his confidence in you is valid."
I slipped Omarion's jacket on as I prepared for what this man had for me. The energy around us was completely off, the vibes of desolation and death itching for another victim to add to their collection.
I shivered just slightly, but I continued to get a grip. This individual removed Omarion from my side on purpose. He didn't need to test Omarion's resolve.
No. He needed to test mine.
"To sit upon this throne means you will be ranked a villain," the man emphasized as he moved around the ancient chair as his hand stroked it like it was far too precious to leave astray.
"The last individuals who were worthy of this chair perished at the hands of a selfish being. They were then painted as sinners in the lands of the supernatural, and no matter all the good and happiness they brought to their kingdoms and lands, their peoples’ minds were tainted with the lies spread about them. Their beautiful legacy was broken all thanks to selfishness."
He moved to the left side of the throne to stand next to it.
"Years of hard work. Centuries of proving their loyalty, dedication, and desire to lift their kingdoms up. Only for a single word of falsehood to make it all fall down. Is that the future you wish to carry? For the world to see you as a bowl of venom instead of the glass of nectar? Is that what you wish to carry with you for the rest of your existence?"
"Isn't that how all villains end up?" I whispered as I stared at the floor, the lines of the symbol beneath my feet catching my interest as my thoughts flowed out of my mouth.
"No matter the pain, anguish, and merciless sorrow the good guys did to the person that forced them to become a villain, in the end, no one cares. A villain who wanted nothing but good for the world, only for the world to tear out her wings, paint her as dark as black, and mark her as a reject to anyone who would listen. A kingdom that broke her lands, burned them to the ground, and left her to pick up the pieces of her world. A man who stole the love she carried and shattered her heart so he