Chapter 4

Ava was pregnant.

Or rather, she was on the verge of a "Blossoming," as The Hearth termed it.

It wasn't just a child; it was a manifestation of her spiritual connection with Marcus, a powerful event for the community.

Everyone was excited. Marcus was especially attentive, his affection deeper than ever.

One evening, seeking Marcus, Ava approached his private study. The door was slightly ajar.

She heard voices, hushed and urgent. Julian and Marcus.

She paused, not wanting to interrupt.

"I hear Ava's 'Blossoming' is imminent," Julian said, his tone flat.

Marcus chuckled, a low, chilling sound.

"You, who arranged that 'cleansing' to test her for Seraphina, now feign concern she might be 'tainted' by it? Don't you find it ironic, given you're still using her for Seraphina's sake?"

Ava' s blood ran cold. Arranged? Test her? For Seraphina?

Seraphina was a woman in The Hearth, revered as a "Pure Vessel," an oracle. She was beautiful, seemingly fragile, and Marcus and Julian were utterly devoted to her. Ava had always found her a little unsettling, but dismissed it.

Julian' s voice was sharp.

"Rich, coming from you. Didn't you personally siphon a shard of Chloe's Soul-Echo to craft that 'Amulet of Serenity' for Seraphina?"

A shard of Chloe' s Soul-Echo. The Ordeal. The draining. It wasn' t random. It was theft.

Marcus sighed. "It doesn't matter. Seraphina's peace is paramount. Chloe becoming my brother-in-bond's partner is a fair trade. She' s stable enough."

A fair trade? Chloe' s suffering, her diminished spirit, for an amulet?

Ava pressed her hand to her mouth, stifling a gasp.

The world tilted.

The rescue, the love, the decade of bliss – all of it, a lie.

A calculated, cruel manipulation.

For Seraphina.

She stumbled away, her heart hammering against her ribs.

The beautiful tapestry of her life in The Hearth ripped apart, revealing a monstrous design.

She found Chloe by the stream, watching the water flow.

Ava' s face must have shown her turmoil.

"Ava, what's wrong?" Chloe asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

Tears streamed down Ava' s face as she recounted the overheard conversation.

The 'cleansing.' The siphoned Soul-Echo. Seraphina.

Chloe listened, her face growing paler with each revealed betrayal.

The pain in her eyes was a mirror of Ava' s own.

The "mending" Julian had done – was that a lie too? Just enough to keep her functional, useful?

"They hurt us," Chloe whispered, her voice trembling. "All this time."

Ava nodded, a cold fury replacing the shock.

"They used us. They' re still using us."

They sat in silence for a long time, the sounds of the idyllic valley suddenly grating, false.

"We have to get out of here, Chloe," Ava finally said, her voice low and hard.

Chloe met her gaze, her own eyes filled with a new, grim resolve.

"Yes. We have to."

The gilded cage suddenly felt suffocating.