I won't fall for the queen who burned my world-Chapter 49: The plan

The room felt too small.

Too suffocating.

Elysia stood frozen just inside the doorway, her breath caught in her chest as Zera's words echoed through the silence like a thunderclap.

A plan to kill Malvoria.

The weight of those words pressed down on her, sharp and heavy, making it hard to breathe. She could still feel the ghost of Malvoria's arms around her from just moments ago, the warmth lingering on her skin like an unwanted brand.

And now, standing here, faced with Zera's unwavering determination, Elysia felt like she was caught between two worlds—two impossible choices.

"Say something," Zera whispered, her voice barely above a breath but crackling with urgency. Her sharp eyes locked onto Elysia's, searching, pleading, demanding.

Elysia opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She clenched her hands into fists at her sides, trying to steady the trembling that refused to subside. She felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, the ground crumbling beneath her feet.

"You..." she finally managed, her voice hoarse. "You have a plan?"

Zera nodded, her gaze intense. "I do. We do."

Elysia's brows furrowed. "We?"

"The rebels," Zera clarified, her tone low and hurried. "I've been in contact with them. It wasn't easy, but I found a way. They've been waiting for an opportunity, and tomorrow night—at the wedding—it's the perfect moment."

Elysia's heart pounded violently against her ribs. The wedding. Tomorrow night. She had known this moment would come—the final confrontation, the culmination of everything Malvoria had done to them—but hearing it spoken aloud, so plainly, made it feel terrifyingly real.

"How?" she asked softly, her voice barely audible over the roaring in her ears. "How are we supposed to... to kill her?"

Zera's expression hardened, determination blazing in her eyes. She reached into the folds of her tunic and produced a small, ornate dagger.

The blade was black as night, its surface etched with faint crimson runes that pulsed with an eerie glow. The hilt was wrapped in dark leather, and a single crimson gemstone was embedded at its base.

Elysia stared at the weapon, her breath catching in her throat.

"This," Zera said quietly, holding up the dagger. "This is our key."

Elysia swallowed hard, forcing her eyes away from the blade. "What is it?"

"A soulforged dagger," Zera explained, her voice low but steady. "Crafted by the rebels using ancient magic. It's imbued with spells that can cut through even the strongest magical defenses. Even Malvoria's."

Elysia felt a shiver run down her spine. She knew how powerful Malvoria was. She had seen it firsthand, felt it in every moment they had spent together.

The idea that anything could break through the Demon Queen's defenses seemed... impossible.

"Are you sure?" she whispered. "Are you sure it will work?"

Zera's eyes softened, but only slightly. "I'm sure. The rebels wouldn't risk everything on a weapon that couldn't deliver."

Elysia nodded slowly, but the knot of anxiety in her chest only tightened.

Zera stepped closer, pressing the dagger into Elysia's hands. The metal was cold against her skin, sending a chill through her veins. Elysia's fingers curled around the hilt instinctively, but the weight of it felt foreign, unnatural.

"You have to do it," Zera whispered, her voice barely audible. "Tomorrow night. During the wedding night. You'll be close to her—closer than anyone else. She won't expect it."

Elysia's breath hitched. "You want me to do it?"

Zera's gaze softened as she reached up to gently cup Elysia's cheek, her thumb brushing lightly against her skin. "I know it's a lot to ask," she murmured. "But it has to be you. You'll have the perfect moment."

Elysia's thoughts spiraled. Me. I have to be the one. She wanted to protest, to say that there had to be another way. But deep down, she knew Zera was right. Malvoria would never let her guard down around anyone else.

But around Elysia?

The memory of the ballroom returned, unbidden. Malvoria's arms around her, the necklace pressed into her palm, the vulnerability in her eyes.

Elysia squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the image. It doesn't matter, she told herself fiercely. It can't matter.

"Elysia," Zera whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "This is our only chance. For your father. For Arvandor. For all of us."

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Elysia's chest tightened painfully. For Father. The thought of him, was enough to make her fists clench tighter around the dagger.

She nodded, a small, almost imperceptible motion, but Zera saw it.

Relief flooded her features, and she pulled Elysia into a tight embrace, holding her as if afraid she might disappear.

"I love you," Zera whispered against her hair. "I love you so much."

Elysia swallowed hard, forcing herself to respond. "I love you too," she whispered back, but the words felt distant, hollow. She wasn't sure if it was the weight of what she had agreed to, or the ghost of Malvoria's touch still lingering on her skin.

When Zera finally pulled away, her expression was determined once more. "Get some rest," she said softly. "Tomorrow is going to be... a long day."

Elysia nodded numbly, her fingers still curled around the dagger as if letting go would shatter her resolve.

Zera leaned in to press a soft kiss to her lips before slipping out of the room, leaving Elysia alone with her thoughts.

The silence was deafening.

Elysia stared down at the dagger in her hands, the faint glow of the runes reflecting in her violet eyes. The weight of it felt unbearable, like it might crush her under its significance.

Her mind was a storm, thoughts swirling chaotically with no reprieve.

Tomorrow night, she'll be close. She won't expect it. This is for Father. This is for Arvandor.

But no matter how many times she repeated it, the image of Malvoria's face wouldn't leave her mind. The way her voice had softened when she whispered, Good night, Elysia. The way her eyes had lingered just a moment too long.

And the necklace.

Elysia looked at her bedside table where the silver necklace with the sapphire pendant rested, the delicate chain glinting faintly in the dim light. She reached out, her fingers brushing the cool metal.

Why did she give this to me? she wondered. Why now?

Her heart ached with confusion, anger, and something else—something she wasn't ready to name.

With a shuddering breath, Elysia placed the dagger beside the necklace, her hands trembling as she did so. She pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes, willing the tears away.

Tomorrow, she reminded herself. Tomorrow it will all be over.

She rose from the chair and crossed the room, slipping beneath the heavy blankets of her bed. The sheets felt cold against her skin, but it did nothing to ease the turmoil inside her.

Elysia curled into herself, her arms wrapped tightly around her own body as if she could hold herself together through sheer force of will.

Her mind raced, but exhaustion soon began to pull at her, the weight of everything dragging her down into the depths of sleep.

And as the darkness of night claimed her, the last thought that echoed through her mind wasn't about the dagger, or the plan, or even the wedding.

It was the memory of Malvoria's arms around her.