The king, then, headed to the castle, he strode into the dining hall, the echoes of his heavy boots resounding through the space.
The remnants of his encounter with the soldier weighed heavily on his mind, his suspicions sharper than ever. As his eyes landed on Lilith, already seated and enjoying her breakfast, his patience wore thin. He didn't bother with formalities.
"Where were you yesterday?" he demanded, his tone cutting through the quiet hum of the room.
Lilith glanced up, her smirk widening as she met his serious gaze. "Good morning for you too," she replied, her voice light and teasing, as if his question meant nothing.
Azareon's frown deepened. He stepped closer, his posture towering, his expression unyielding. "Don't test me, Lilith," he said, his voice low but firm. "Answer the question."
Lilith shrugged, casually cutting into her food. "And why would you want to know?" she shot back, her tone carrying a trace of defiance.
The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with unspoken accusations. Azareon's fists clenched at his sides, his suspicion growing with every passing second. He couldn't let her evade him—not this time.
Lilith pushed her chair back abruptly, the scraping sound cutting through the heavy silence. She rose to her feet, her chest heaving as anger swirled inside her. Her eyes, usually calm, now burned with frustration and hurt.
"You always come asking me things and demanding answers," she shouted, her voice trembling with emotion. "But have you ever considered me as a daughter? Do you even see me as anything more than a problem to solve, Azareon?"
Her words hung in the air, raw and accusing. Azareon stared at her, momentarily stunned by her outburst. It was rare for Lilith to raise her voice, let alone challenge him so openly. He opened his mouth to respond but hesitated, his own emotions stirring beneath the surface.
"Lilith…" he started, his tone softer than before, but she cut him off.
"No! Don't act like you care now," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "You're so quick to interrogate me, but you never ask how I feel. You never treat me like I'm your daughter. I've had enough."
Lilith's voice cut through the air like a blade, sharp and deliberate. Her words hung heavily, the truth finally laid bare.
"Just to you know," she said, her tone unwavering, "I was at the mountain yesterday. I find peace there—something I can never seem to find here."
Lilith's voice cut through the air like a blade, sharp and deliberate. Her words hung heavily, the truth finally laid bare.
"Just so you know," she said, her tone unwavering, "I was at the mountain yesterday. I find peace there—something I can never seem to find here."
As soon as the word mountain left Lilith's lips, Azareon froze. The pieces of the puzzle began snapping into place in his mind. The soldier's report of the dark magic, the strange occurrences near the mountain, and Lilith's behavior in the library—all of it pointed back to her.
His jaw tightened, his thoughts racing. The mountain was no place for peace. It was a place of shadows—a scar left by the demon war. His mind drifted back to the battle long ago, when the skies burned crimson, and the earth trembled beneath the fury of angels and demons clashing. It was at the mountain's base where he had fought the boy—a demon child with power far beyond his years. Though the boy had been defeated, his dark power had scarred the land, leaving an echo of that terrible day.
But even with these memories burning vividly in his mind, Azareon couldn't believe that Lilith herself was the source of such dark magic. No, it wasn't possible. She was an angel, bound to the light. She couldn't understand the mountain's true nature or the dangers it held. She didn't know what had once transpired there, nor could she grasp the remnants of shadowy forces that lingered. His thoughts turned dark—what if she had unwittingly crossed paths with someone dangerous in that place?
"The mountain," he repeated, his voice low and tense. "Why would you go there, Lilith? You know nothing of its history or its dangers."
Lilith frowned at his sharp tone but stood her ground. "It's quiet there," she replied curtly, her expression firm. "It gives me peace—something I can't find here."
Her defiance only deepened Azareon's frustration. He stepped closer, his towering presence like a storm brewing over her. "And yet, you returned unscathed?" he pressed, his voice sharpening. "You saw nothing, met no one?"
"What are you insinuating?" Lilith snapped, her anger flaring in response to his intensity. "I go there to be alone. Is that such a crime in your eyes?"
Azareon's eyes burned with suspicion, searching her face for any crack in her composure. The memory of the demon war churned in his mind, the faces of those he had fought, and the boy whose power had come so close to matching his own. He couldn't risk history repeating itself—not within his kingdom, and certainly not with Lilith at the center of it.
"You don't understand what you've done," Azareon said through gritted teeth, his voice quieter but filled with unyielding tension. "That mountain is no place for peace. It's a place of shadows, of echoes from a war long buried. If you encountered something—anything—you need to tell me now."
Lilith's gaze didn't waver. She refused to let him intimidate her, even if her heart pounded with the weight of his words. But she couldn't confess the pull she had felt, the marks that had appeared, or the whispers that had stirred in her mind. Not here, not now.
"There's nothing to tell," she said firmly, turning her back to him. "If you won't believe me, that's not my problem."
Azareon's patience snapped. He slammed his hand on the table, the sound echoing through the room like a crack of thunder. "Don't turn your back on me, Lilith!" he shouted, his voice booming with frustration. "I will not allow you to endanger yourself or this kingdom with your recklessness!"
The room fell silent, the tension between them thick and suffocating. For the first time, Lilith hesitated, the force of his anger momentarily throwing her off balance. But she quickly straightened, meeting his fury with her own silent resolve.