Ink: Living Life as Serena Gleis

Chapter LV: The Wake

The news of Zion's death spread like wildfire. The successful assassination of the new emperor became the continent's headline, throwing Bluistain into chaos. Knights now patrolled the palace and every corner of the capital, limiting who could enter or leave as the investigation unfolded.

"We're next. Liese, run. Run away from here. We're next," the empress muttered, her once regal demeanor crumbling as she curled up in the darkest corner of the room, rocking back and forth. Liese felt the weight of the world on her shoulders-her brother dead, her mother losing her sanity. Staring out the window, she saw no hope in sight. Confined to a room with guarded doors, she hadn't spoken to anyone since Zion's death.

"They'll kill us, Liese. Run. Run as fast as you can," the Empress repeated. Liese watched her mother's once esteemed figure crumble, feeling powerless. Her thoughts were interrupted by a panicked Saoirse bursting through the door.

"L-Liese? Where's Zion?" Saoirse's voice cracked, tears streaming down her face. Unable to contain her own grief any longer, Liese ran to her brother's fiancée.

"He's g-gone," Liese sobbed, collapsing into Saoirse's arms. The two women wept, clinging to each other for support as the weight of their loss crushed them. The knights, watching with heavy hearts, quietly closed the door, granting them a moment of solitude in their shared sorrow.

Their sobs filled the room like a haunting melody, their bodies intertwined on the cold, hard floor. The pain of losing Zion was a heavy burden they both struggled to bear. They cried and cried, their tears flowing unchecked for hours until their eyes ran dry. Exhausted, they lay there in each other's arms, staring into the abyss of grief with hollow, vacant eyes, lost in a world where time seemed to stand still, unsure of how to navigate the bleak path ahead.

"I told him not to do it," Saoirse began, her voice heavy with regret, as she recounted their argument before Zion's return to Bluistain from Wellington. "I warned him not to get caught up in Cyn's mess," she added bitterly, her words laced with frustration. Liese listened intently, her heart aching for Saoirse's pain.

Saoirse's sorrowful expression suddenly transformed into one of fiery anger. "And if it isn't because of that damn witch Serena," she exclaimed, her voice rising with fury. "She's dead, but why can't she just leave Zion alone?!" The room seemed to crackle with Saoirse's rage, leaving Liese feeling bewildered and unsure of how to respond to the torrent of emotions pouring out from Saoirse.

"Serena? Caspian's sister?" Liese questioned, her voice tinged with confusion. Saoirse let out a deep sigh, her shoulders slumping under the weight of the revelation.

"Your brother claimed the throne for that witch," Saoirse explained bitterly, her words heavy with resentment. "He wanted to give justice for her death." The bitterness in her tone hung in the air, leaving Liese stunned as she struggled to come to terms with the true motivations behind her brother's actions.

"After all this time... He never stopped loving her, Liese, not for one moment," Saoirse choked out, tears streaming down her face, her breaths uneven and ragged. Liese was stunned, her mind reeling at this revelation. She had never imagined that Zion's actions were driven by a love that had endured even beyond death. All she could do was watch, her heart breaking for her brother and for Saoirse.

A gentle knock on the door broke the heavy silence, the sound echoing like a solemn drumbeat in the room. "You can now visit the wake," the knight's voice was barely a whisper, heavy with the weight of the sorrow permeating the air. Slowly, they rose from the floor, offering their support to the once-proud Empress who now seemed so frail and broken. With trembling steps, they made their way through the dimly lit hall, each step feeling like a journey through the depths of despair.