The Labyrinth of Negrastir

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As I opened my eyes, the scorching sun mercilessly bore down on me.

Shielding myself from the sunrays, I made out a mysterious figure standing by the only floor-length window in the chamber.

With her back turned to me, she drew the curtains. Her head dropped, and she drew a deep breath.

The weight she carried was evident in the way her shoulders slouched forwards as if an invisible force was tugging her towards the centre of the Earth.

Was she... was she crying?

"Lara?"

The young woman turned to face me with wide eyes. For a brief moment, she stood there, unable to get a word out, before rushing over and embracing me.

Taken aback, I gently patted her back as she sobbed uncontrollably in my arms, unsure of how to console the young woman who seemed utterly lost.

"I thought you'd never wake up!"

"What are you—"

I groaned as she let go of me and instinctively raised my hand to my throbbing head. A sudden surge of pain pierced through me. It felt like my head was about to blow up.

Memories, not my own, came rushing back to me, filling my drab mind with a sense of familiarity. What was happening?

These memories belonged to Hera, not me, so why were they suddenly etched into my mind? My heart raced out of control.

I looked down at my chest in disbelief. The wound that should've been there was now nothing more than a sealed scar.

What in the whole world was going on?

I- I was supposed to die! I just knew it, so how...?

As I shifted my eyes to Lara, an image flashed through my mind.

Right.

Vanir, he... he did something to me – to the wound – back in the labyrinth when I passed out. He must've brought back Hera's memories somehow.

But why would he do such a thing?

"It's all Nessa's fault that you ended up like this, miss! I'll never forgive her for what she's done to you!"

I frowned. "Nessa?"

Memories of the young lady I saw beside the Crown Prince flooded my mind. Her enchanting presence was impossible to forget.

I could recall every detail, from the day Nessa stepped foot in our household to the moment she shared her first kiss with Malachi.

I even remembered the agony Hera felt. How her heart broke into pieces as everything she dreamed of slipped through her fingers and perished with one kiss.

"I- I still can't believe that sly thing got knocked up and snatched the Crown Prince while you were gone!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Isn't this why you ended up like this, Hera? You must've heard about their engagement and—"

"So," I said, "Nessa became pregnant and the Crown Prince married her while I was away?"

"Y- you didn't know?"

"That's for the better, then." I turned my face away, mumbling to myself rather than for the other to hear. "I should go talk to the Emperor and get things over with."

"The Emperor?"

"There's no need for me to stay here anymore, is there? Besides, there's someone I need to track down..."