Chapter 693: The Ritual Beneath the Earth

Sophia knew what this was immediately.

The moment the world around her shifted, she understood she was seeing a vision.

The realization settled into her before she could even fully process her surroundings.

The noise of the square disappeared completely. The shouting, the panic, all of it vanished as though someone had ripped her out of reality itself and dropped her somewhere else entirely.

Cold air brushed against her skin, but it wasn’t the cold that came from the snow.

This place was different.

Sophia slowly lifted her head, her breathing uneven as she looked around.

Dark stone walls stretched outward beneath flickering torchlight. Shadows crawled across the chamber like living things, twisting and bending whenever the flames moved.

The air smelled strange. It was a mix of smoke and iron and, beneath it all, blood.

Sophia’s stomach tightened instantly.

The room felt familiar. She was certain she had not been in this place before, but it still felt familiar.

This place was different from the castle she had lived in with Victoria. This felt more like the place she had been locked up in. The place where Alaric died.

She took in the room. Her eyes landed on the couch in the room. It was black velvet with gold trimmings.

It looked completely out of place in a chamber carved from earth and ritual.

"Neoma..." Sophia called softly.

For one terrifying second, there was no answer.

Then warmth brushed against her consciousness immediately afterward.

*I’m here,* Neoma answered quietly from within her.

Sophia exhaled shakily.

Relief flooded her chest so quickly it almost hurt.

The visions always felt strange, but being alone inside them felt worse.

The chamber stretched endlessly around her beneath low golden firelight. Strange symbols had been carved into the stone walls, twisting runes that made her eyes ache if she stared too long.

Bundles of dried herbs hung from the ceiling.

Glass containers filled with dark liquids lined shelves carved directly into the stone.

A massive table stood near the center of the chamber, covered in ritual tools.

Bones. And there were also trihydra remains too.

Blades and bowls filled with crushed powders.

And beside them... a large glass container pulsed faintly with thick red liquid.

Sophia felt dread settle deeper into her stomach.

This place did not feel human.

It felt ancient.

Then footsteps echoed nearby.

Sophia immediately turned as a woman entered the chamber.

And the moment Sophia saw her, unease curled sharply beneath her skin.

The woman looked old in a way that felt unnatural, like she was decaying.

Her back was hunched sharply as she walked toward the ritual table. Thin gray hair hung wildly around her face, tied back carelessly with strips of leather.

Dozens of strange earrings hung from her ears.

Bones.

Metal.

Tarnished rings.

Her lips were blackened darkly, and when she smiled faintly to herself, Sophia saw missing teeth.

Long yellowed nails curled around the tools she touched.

Everything about her felt wrong and dangerous.

Sophia instinctively took a step backward.

Even though she knew nobody inside the vision could actually see her.

Still... something about the woman made her skin crawl.

The woman hummed quietly while mixing different substances together in a stone bowl.

Her movements were slow.

Smoke rose from a nearby cauldron, carrying the scent of herbs and something metallic into the air.

Sophia’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Then she heard more footsteps, and she froze immediately.

She knew those footsteps and even the scent.

Every muscle in her body tensed.

Victoria entered the chamber.

And somehow, even after everything, Sophia still found herself caught briefly off guard by how beautiful her mother was.

Victoria looked like temptation wrapped in cruelty.

A fitted black dress clung tightly to her figure, gold embroidery curling along the fabric like vines. The neckline dipped low enough to command attention without losing its elegance.

Gold bracelets lined her wrists, chiming softly when she moved.

Her long dark hair spilled over her shoulders.

Victoria walked across the chamber with calm confidence, her bare feet silent against the stone floor.

The old woman immediately straightened slightly.

"Victoria," she rasped.

"Selith," Victoria said in reply.

Victoria moved toward the ritual table without hesitation.

"We have one month," Victoria said immediately.

Selith tilted her head slowly.

"A month?" she repeated.

Victoria nodded once.

"The preparations are already moving forward," she said. "And since we cannot get the first priest, we will proceed with the alternative."

Sophia’s chest tightened.

Alternative?

Selith’s cracked lips stretched into a smile.

"Your daughter."

Victoria’s expression hardened faintly.

"My daughter," she said with a nod.

Sophia went still.

"She is in the Nightshade Pack," Victoria continued calmly. "We have that information now."

Sophia’s pulse quickened violently.

Victoria knew where she was.

The realization crashed into Sophia so hard that for a second she forgot to breathe.

Selith chuckled softly.

"I told you before," she rasped. "A daughter of yours would not die easily."

Victoria’s gaze darkened slightly.

"She survived longer than expected," she admitted coldly. "But it changes nothing."

Selith moved slowly around the table, mixing another substance into the bowl before her.

The room smelled sharper afterward.

"We will help you retrieve her," Selith said calmly. "After all..."

Her smile widened slowly.

"We cannot move forward while the Nightshade Pack still exists."

Sophia’s heart skipped painfully.

Victoria remained silent.

But the faint curve of her lips said enough.

Selith continued stirring the mixture.

"I also have something else for you," she murmured.

Victoria finally looked interested.

"Oh?"

Selith nodded slowly.

"Yes," she rasped. "Preparations are already underway."

Selith gestured toward the large glass chamber filled with thick garnet-colored liquid.

The substance pulsed faintly.

Sophia felt nausea crawl into her throat.

Selith smiled.

"The blood of those infected by the plague has proven... useful."

Sophia’s eyes widened immediately.

Selith dipped her fingers into the liquid slowly.

"We will use it to strengthen you further," she whispered.

Victoria’s pale eyes gleamed faintly beneath the light.

"How much stronger?" she asked quietly.

Selith laughed softly.

"Strong enough to control the beasts of Nirvana."

Sophia’s breath caught sharply. How was that possible?

Even Victoria looked momentarily surprised.

Then slowly, she smiled.

And that smile terrified Sophia more than anything else.

Because it looked pleased.