Chapter 16 - The Architect Revealed
Evelyn reeled back in horror. "Mother...? No... this can't be!"
"Queen Isabelle was swallowed by the dark arcana long ago, Evelyn," the impostor chuckled, her voice echoing through the frozen hall. "I am Lady Vespera, High Priestess of the Sunken Order. I took your mother's form decades ago, ruling beside your oblivious father while preparing the spell to erase you forever."
The revelation struck Evelyn like a physical blow. The woman who had tucked her into bed, who had smiled at her throughout her childhood, had been the true enemy all along.
"Why?" Evelyn choked out, tears welling in her eyes. "Why go through all this?"
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"Because your bloodline possesses the rare power to immune memory magic!" Vespera snarled. "You were a threat to our vision of a perfectly controlled empire. When the Thirteenth Bell rang, I erased you from the minds of every human. But your stubborn connection to the dragons ruined my divine design!"
Vespera raised her staff, triggering a massive cave-in of ice. Benjamin threw himself over Evelyn, protecting her as the ceiling collapsed around them.
