Closure.

Such a strange word. One that Liliana had never considered before. Her life had been nothing but trailing threads fading off to tattered ends, never tied off. Closure was a luxury, something so beyond her she’d never considered it. Her last life had ended with a sigh, not a shout, cut off far too soon. She’d been told how her parents had survived after her, but it wasn’t true closure. It was just more tattered threads added to the ragged tapestry that was her existence.

Now, though, that word had been popping up in her mind more often. An elusive concept that felt more real as Liliana stared at her reflection. A maid, her name long since forgotten after her introduction, was flitting around Liliana and pinning her hair up. The maid tugged too hard, but the girl didn’t hold enough Strength to really hurt Liliana so she kept quiet.

Closure. Something she would be seeking today. Though if she’d finally get it, she wasn’t sure. Would seeing Imogen brought so low finally quench the fires of hate that still burned in Liliana’s chest? Would asking the woman the questions that choked her throat finally settle the pain she was nursing?

Closure. The ending, the final act. The end of one path. A resolution.

She didn’t need to do this. Everyone had told her this. Silas had reassured her that if she didn’t want to she never had to see Imogen again. She could talk to the queen, give her side of events, and be done with it all. Emyr had told her in the quiet hours of the night that she had already done enough. She didn’t need to face Imogen again. Alistair had struggled to understand her decision, for he refused to visit Imogen himself.

But while others thought Liliana didn’t need to do this, she knew she did. She had to see Imogen behind bars, to finally lay the monster that haunted her dreams to rest. She needed this, or the ghosts of the woman who had been the villain in her story would always torment her. Her mind and emotions had already transformed the woman into something hardly resembling a human any longer, and she needed to end that. Needed to prove to herself that Imogen, cruel and wicked as she was, was nothing more than a mortal woman.

Liliana shooed off the maid as she finished, not bothering to thank the girl. She’d seen the distaste in her eyes. The maid didn’t want this post. Liliana was just glad she was actually doing her job instead of actively sabotaging her. At least she was intelligent to a degree, or smart enough to fear the vulpine protector who shadowed Liliana’s every step.

Liliana stood, and Polaris rose from his position laying at her feet to follow her. She had special permission from the queen, well, Marianne really, to have Polaris with her in the dungeons. A small show of their favoritism for Liliana’s part in Imogen’s capture. Liliana hadn’t told the Inquisitors of what had been snuck into Imogen’s drink, but she’d sent a letter to Marianne the day after Imogen’s arrest to allude to it. She had a deal to capitalize on, after all. And she knew the queen would look the other way in such a legal gray area in favor of the leash she had gained for the Rosengarde duchy.

As Liliana walked through the manor, it was quiet, the servants she passed glancing furtively at her before resuming whatever task they’d been doing. Their opinion of her had not improved in the days following Imogen’s arrest, and the maid who had been dismissed with one less hand than she’d woken up with that day hadn’t helped. But her father was eager to keep her content. His power had taken a hit with his wife’s arrest, and he desperately needed her now. Her current power and potential for becoming even stronger was essential to him. She was no longer a mere pawn on his chessboard; she was far more valuable than that.

His military power had not diminished, but with Imogen’s actions there was now an investigation ongoing into the Rosengarde duchy. Under the guise of sniffing out any of Imogen’s contacts and anyone involved in her actions. But it was sure to dig up anything her father didn’t want seen, putting his position at risk. Liliana was sure that the queen would offer him something soon when she got her hands on whatever additional blackmail she needed. Perhaps leaving him his military power and lands but forcing him to support her against the noble faction. Or maybe forcing him to hand over control of his militia to the crown. Liliana wasn’t sure. Such political machinations were above her pay grade, she was satisfied knowing that the foundation of her father’s little kingdom was crumbling under his feet.

She’d be the one to finish toppling it over. Once it had eroded to the point it would take nothing more than a gentle shove to send it all tumbling down. The harder her father grasped onto her and her power to bolster his own, the worse the hit would be when she officially cut her ties with him. The stronger she became, the worse the wound would be.

Unlike Imogen, her plans for her father weren’t going to be finalized anytime soon. One day, when her father trusted her and depended on her, she’d finish him off. She had the time; she had the patience.

Liliana flicked the hood of her cloak over her hair, the soft fur tickling her cheeks as she stepped out of the manor. It was still winter, the landscape cold and barren and coated in a thick layer of snow. It felt wrong, in a way. So much had happened. Liliana felt like years had passed, not weeks. It felt like the seasons should've changed, and yet it was as cold today as the day she'd laid Astrid's body to rest.

“There you are,” a voice called out, and Liliana’s eyes shifted to look at the man standing before her bundled in layer after layer of fur.

It looked like the same portalist who had picked her up the last time, and idly Liliana wondered how low his Vitality stat had to be for him to be so miserable. He’d probably dumped most of his stats into Intelligence and Wisdom, if his whining about the cold was any indicator. She could hardly judge his physical stature through his layers of bulky clothing, but she felt it safe to assume he was probably thin, unmuscled. Min-maxing was unfortunately a common thing, especially for non-combat focused classes like his.

“I apologize for the delay,” Liliana said as she stepped up to the man. He grumbled, but reached out and touched one hand to her and his other to Polaris. A feeling like the world was shifting around her hit Liliana as they traveled through space in a way that human bodies were not meant to. When they arrived in a barren stone room Liliana stumbled, hand going to her mouth to stop any bile from escaping. Teleporting was no more pleasant the more times she did it. Taking deep breaths, Liliana settled her stomach as the man began to strip down his clothing, most of it disappearing into a storage device.

He is rather skinny, Liliana noted with a bit of amusement as the man’s uniform was finally revealed.

“There’s a guard outside to escort you to the dungeons,” the portalist told her and Liliana nodded, shaking her head a little to settle her thoughts. Teleporting always left her more scatterbrained than normal.

‘Let’s go. You think they’ll let me bite her? Maybe take a finger or two? She won’t be needing them,’ Polaris’ voice range in Liliana’s mind and she had to stifle a humorless giggle at his commentary.

‘As much as I’d enjoy it let’s not give them a reason to revoke your permission to be here,’ Liliana thought back to him as she opened the door. She’d gotten better at mentally talking to Polaris rather than responding verbally, a useful skill to have. If she could commune with him mentally, it would make them truly terrifying in battles, but getting her thoughts to be both structured and clear enough to converse still took a good deal of focus. She was more used to communicating with images and emotions, the same way Lelantos and Nemesis commonly communicated.

“Lady Liliana,” the guard stationed outside bowed to her. Liliana inclined her head as she activated [Identify] curious as to who had been sent to escort her.

Alek Brownwind

Age: 48

Level: 253

Rank: 4

Class: Royal Guard

Liliana nodded to herself. He was strong enough to be able to neutralize her and Polaris, but not so high leveled he could be seen as a silent threat from the queen. Just enough to let her know she needed to behave. This gesture, more than the queen’s allowance of this visit, relaxed Liliana. She had wondered if the queen would truly see Liliana as a type of ally once she had gotten what she wanted, it seemed that the woman still saw a use for her. Or at least, was willing to give her clemency because of Liliana’s friendship with her daughter.

That was good. It made her future plans easier if she had the favor of the royal family.

“Lead the way, Sir Brownwind,” Liliana spoke, and the man saluted her before turning on his heel and marching off.

Liliana followed him, appreciating his slower pace that gave her the chance to look around. The dungeons weren’t actually connected to the royal palace. It was more apt to call it a prison. It was in a hidden location, only accessible by portal with permission from the royal family, for good reason. They kept the most dangerous criminals here, either because of their level or political power. Arrested nobles always ended up here because of the chance of them being broken free.

There were no windows to give Liliana a clue to where they were, and every few yards there were guards stationed, each alert, their eyes following the trio until they passed out of view. The levels of the guards she saw here reflected her guide, all Rank 4. She assumed there were likely higher leveled guards further into, or down, the dungeons. Or wherever they kept the more dangerous prisoners.

Her guard stopped at a door. It looked the exact same as the tens they’d already passed, and opened it.

“You can go in. She won’t be able to reach you. Her shackles are made of nullstone,” the guard explained as Liliana stepped up. Her eyebrows raised. Nullstone was rare, exclusively found in Rank 2 or 1 dungeons. Small pieces would weaken someone, but if there was enough touching your body, it would not only lock your system access, but revert your stats to Unawakened levels. The royal family was taking no chances with their prisoners.

“Yell if you need something,” the guard told her, and Liliana nodded, stepping past the man and into the room. As the door shut behind her and Polaris, Liliana took a moment to take in the room. Half of it seemed to be an open area with a chair and a table facing bars that went from floor to ceiling. Mage lights were embedded in the roof, illuminating the area.

Past the bars was a fairly stereotypical prison cell, though the bed was of a finer quality than Liliana expected. There was even a small connected room that Liliana assumed was a washroom. The cell also held a chair, desk, and a small bookshelf. But what drew Liliana’s attention was the woman who sat in the chair, thick shackles wrapping around her wrists and ankles.

Imogen looked awful, to put it bluntly. She was dressed in a plain, shapeless gray dress. Her long hair, normally always done up in a complicated updo, hung instead down her back in hundreds of braids. Her face, once flawless thanks to her Illusion magic and cosmetics, was haggard, and Liliana could see wrinkles marring her skin.

Liliana would not deny the pleasure that filled her, seeing her once glamorous stepmother brought to such a state. A small smile fluttered around the edge of her lips as Liliana sat down in the empty chair on her side of the room.

“Imogen,” Liliana started, her voice hard and empty.