*************
It was reckless for the Crown Prince to do that. Dangerous.
Yet…
'The Crown Prince has always been… ambitious.'
Still, something didn't feel right.
'The Emperor wouldn't approve of such a move.'
Her instincts told her this was not an official directive.
'No… this is his doing alone.'
Her train of thought was abruptly interrupted.
"So," Eclipse's voice broke through, calm yet decisive, "what will it be?"
"The elixir… or the elimination?"
Reina blinked.
The question struck deeper than she expected.
For a moment, she found herself uncertain.
Originally, her goal had been simple—
Retrieve the elixir.
Nothing more.
But circumstances had changed.
Drastically.
Her encounter with the third young master… no, with Eclipse… had completely overturned her plans.
Now, she stood at a crossroads.
On one side—the elixir that could save her brother.
