Chapter 19: Capital of the Forgotten Bride
The ruins of Noctremis, once the capital of the Umbra Kingdom, stood beneath an eternal eclipse.
There was no sun here. Only twilight. The stone towers were cracked and jagged like broken teeth, black ivy strangling what remained of the city’s heart. Shadows shifted when no one moved them. Whispers crawled across the walls, ancient and hungry.
Lucien stood at the shattered gate, five of his bonded brides behind him—Lilith, Zaraya, Lyra, Liora, and Selene. The mist around them pressed in like a living thing, thick and cold.
The system pulsed in his mind.
> [Warning: Zone Status – Cursed Domain]
[Hostile Signature Detected – Umbra Queen: Prime Vessel | Class Unknown]
Lucien stepped forward. "No one split up. This place feeds on fear."
Selene’s violet eyes narrowed. "Not just fear. Guilt."
The moment they passed the archway, the world changed.
---
The city warped.