"So, in the past life, Mira was our mate... but she fell in love with the Dark Master?" Lance asked slowly. A deep unease settled in his chest as the question formed.
At this moment, all he could think of was Emira-of how she had fiercely insisted on bringing the Dark Master back. The thought made his heart tighten painfully. Could it be that she remembered fragments of her past life? Was revenge merely a cover for something deeper? Did she still harbour love for the dark master?
No. He refused to believe that.
Unexpectedly, the Grand Witch shook her head. "As a matter of fact, the Mira in this fragment of memory, spoke only part of the truth." Her gaze remained steady. "Shiqi was your fated mate." Lance’s breath caught.
"But fate," the Grand Witch continued, "is fragile when placed in the hands of human greed." She paused briefly. "And it was greed that changed the course of history." Her voice lowered. "And poisoned the present."
"What do you mean?" Lance asked, frustration slipping into his tone. He had no patience left for riddles. He needed answers. Now.
"In the beginning," the Grand Witch said, "all three Lords believed Shiqi was the one destined for them. There was no confusion. No doubt." She folded her hands calmly. "Mira was only bound to you through prophecy, not through choice. It was Shiqi who was meant to stand at your side."
Kael’s eyes darkened. "Then how did everything go so wrong?"
"Because of interference," she replied without hesitation. "Master Stav."
The name seemed to hang heavily in the air.
"Shiqi’s father," the Grand Witch went on, "and Mira’s adoptive father. A man who valued control above all else." Her lips pressed into a thin line. "He feared that you would choose Mira and so, he made sure that Mira was bound to someone else, leaving you no choice. He wanted the power to come to Shiqi’s hands and eventually his. So, he crafter a plan.
She continued, "The Dark Master owed Master Stav a life debt. And over time, that debt turned into obedience." Her eyes sharpened. "Master Stav used that loyalty. He ordered the Dark Master to get close to Mira. To confuse her. To make her believe she was loved by him and that she was not their mate.
Lance’s chest tightened.
"Mira was young. Innocent and impressionable." the Grand Witch said softly. "When the Dark Master proposed, she believed the feelings were real. She believed she had chosen him of her own will."
Her gaze shifted slightly. "But while Mira was misled, it was Shiqi who paid the price."
Silence filled the room. "The night of the Golden Moon," the Grand Witch continued, "the three Lords stood before a choice. Shiqi, who had fallen in love with them deeply and Mira who was caught in a web she did not fully understand."
Her voice grew heavier. "In the end, the three lords still chose Mira."
Lance felt something twist sharply inside him.
"That night," she said quietly, "Shiqi was humiliated before the entire coven. Rejected. Replaced." Her eyes hardened. "And that is what changed everything. The betrayal from the one she loved."
The Grand Witch lifted her gaze to meet Lance’s. "This is why," she said carefully, "the past must not be repeated."
Kael frowned. "What are you suggesting?"
"The Golden Moon is about to rise again," she replied. "And when it does, you will be faced with another choice." Her voice was calm, almost gentle. "This time, you must choose correctly."
Her eyes flicked briefly away, then returned.
"Ramona Vye," she said.
She inclined her head slightly. "Do not let emotion cloud your judgment again. Accept the mate who will preserve peace and not reopen old wounds."
"I can see all three of you are averse to her. But think carefully. Whatever she has done has been under the influence of her father. But remember your childhood with her. Was she a child who would deliberately hurt someone? My lords. Please don’t let the past repeat. Do not choose Mira. Or Emira as she is called in this life. She belongs to the dark Lord. Instead, put your doubts aside and choose Ramona. Once you have chosen her, everything will fall into place. The hold that Emira has on all three of you will break. And all three of you will be with Ramona again."
The room fell silent. And though her words sounded wise, something about them left a faint, lingering chill behind in their hearts. Because whatever the grand witch said, Lance, Kael and Zen were unwilling to give up on Emira. They refused to believe that Emira did not love them.
Even as the silence continued to hang heavily in the room, the Grand Witch rose to her feet. She did not rush. Her movements were slow, deliberate, as though she was giving her words time to settle before she spoke.
"You are free to choose not to trust me," she said calmly. "But before you dismiss what I have said, might I suggest that you check on the girl you call Emira."
The words made Lance’s shoulders stiffen.
"She is not here," the Grand Witch continued, her voice unchanging. "Not in this medical building. Even now, she has gone to meet the Dark Lord." She paused, then added quietly, "His aura and presence are growing closer. Stronger. That can only mean one thing."
Her gaze sharpened. "Emira has been helping him."
With that, the Grand Witch turned and walked away, her steps echoing faintly as she left the room.
The three brothers did not move.
Emira would not go to meet the Dark Master. Not now. Not after Zen had nearly lost his life. If anything, she would have come here straight to them. That much, they were certain.
And yet, barely a few minutes after the Grand Witch disappeared from sight, hurried footsteps sounded outside the chamber. A guard burst in, his expression strained.
"Your Majesty," he said urgently. "Emira is missing."
The words fell like a blow. In that moment, the certainty they had clung to cracked, and the uneasy silence returned with a much heavier force.