The Dragon King's Heart

"We meet again," Laina declared calmly as she put down the cup of tea on the table before turning to Cordelia.

From beyond the door, they could hear the muffled shouts of Florin and Kol. 

"Laina! She's dangerous!" Florin yelled.

She did not panic. She glanced over to the door, then back at Cordelia, who had a large grin across her face. It did not take long for Laina to realize that a barrier spell had been cast to keep unwanted interruptions out. There were not many people who would be able to break the barrier.

"I'll be alright, Florin, don't worry," Laina yelled back, hoping to reassure them. 

But she knew them well enough, they were in a state of panic. They would do anything to get to her. For now, Laina was focused on the person who stood before her. 

"What do you want from me, Cordelia?" she went straight to the point.

They had been chasing one another by the tail for long enough. It was time they resolved their differences and moved on. Cordelia clenched her jaw. Laina's lack of awareness for her reasons had always pissed her off. But today, she also sensed something was different about Laina.

It seemed as if the former crown princess was now aware of information she previously did not. But it was clear that none of it was related to Cordelia. The situation shed light on Cordelia's circumstances. It was almost laughable at this point.

Cordelia took a seat on the sofar opposite of Laina. She poured herself a cup of tea.

"Do you know why I'm here?" she asked Laina as she took a sip. 

"I can only assume it is to kill me, as you've attempted to do so before."

Cordelia shook her head as she corrected her, "That is what I am here to do, not why."

"I assume it is because you hate me."

"Hate isn't even a strong enough word to describe it," she said through gritted teeth, "I despise you."

Laina was confused. What had she done that would cause the purple-haired witch to hate her so much? She had made multiple attempts to toy with Laina and ruin her life and the lives of those around her. Though her plans were foiled, the trouble she had caused was still present. 

After some thought, it was clear that it had to be something she did in her previous life. There was nothing in the present that she could recall that she had done to Cordelia that could be the cause.

"What did I do?" she asked.

Cordelia shot her a glare. Laina's question made her blood boil. The porcelain cup in her hand shattered to pieces, crumbling to the ground. Cuts appeared on her hand as blood seeped from the fresh wounds. Laina attempted to offer some help, only to be met with hostility.

"I don't need your help!" she yelled as she swiped Laina's hand away, the cuts slowly healed on their own.

The purple-haired witch glared at Laina with fire in her eyes. She pointed at her with rage boiling in her heart. She got up on her feet as she confronted Laina. 

"You took everything away from me! Everything!" she screamed.

A powerful force of energy pulsed through the room, causing all the windows and glass in the room to shatter. Laina winced a little but remain largely undeterred. She was looking straight at Cordelia in a state of confusion with a glint of worry in her eyes.

She hated it.

Laina, on the other hand, did not know how to respond. She had no idea what she was talking about. If Dante was here, perhaps he might be able to shed some light on the situation. But she was alone, dealing with the witch who was attempting to exact her revenge. 

It did not take long for Cordelia to realize Laina did not know what she was referring to. A spell circle formed beneath their feet, trapping both of them together. Cordelia slit her palm, allowing fresh blood to drip onto the circle. In a flash of light, Laina saw a series of graves laid out before her. Cordelia was collapsed in front of them, crying in agony.

"You caused their deaths! All of them!" Cordelia's echoed in Laina's mind. 

She was in disbelief, "I killed your family?" 

"All of them!" Cordelia's voice boomed in her mind once more.

Laina took a closer look at the scene before her. The entire area was filled with graves. When they returned to the present, Cordelia had a dagger pointing at Laina's heart. The anger in her eyes was mixed with pain. Cordelia was a broken soul. 

But through it all, Laina noticed something. There was a look of hesitation. Deep in her heart, Laina felt like there was more to the story, something that was left unsaid. Though she did not know what she was like in her past life, she was certain she could not have caused the deaths of so many without good reason. 

There had to be something more than meets the eye.

Laina held onto the hilt of the dagger that was aimed at her heart. The tip of the blade originally hovered just a few hairs away from her chest. Now, Laina pressed it against her chest, the cold metal blade touching the fabric of her blouse. She was not wearing any protective armor, the only protection spells she had on her were the one she had cast upon herself and the spell Dante had placed upon her.

"What are you doing?" Cordelia asked in shock.

"If killing me will bring you peace, do it."

She could not believe her ears. She tried to take a few steps back but Laina was holding onto the dagger and she refused to let go.

"Have you gone mad? You want me to kill you?!" Cordelia gasped in shock. 

She was suspicious of Laina's intentions. She had to be bluffing. Who in the right mind would seek death like this? But perhaps it was Laina who was calling her bluff. Cordelia gritted her teeth as she wriggled her dagger and hand out of Laina's, creating space between them.

She yelled and lunged at Laina with the dagger, ready to plunge it right into her heart. Laina did not break eye contact. She watched as Cordelia came towards her. But the purple-haired witch could not do it. She stopped short of her attack and crumbled to the ground. She dropped the dagger onto the ground as it fell with a thud.

Laina looked on, letting out a sigh of relief.. She trusted her gut to do the right thing but while it was the outcome she had hoped for, she knew there was so much more to process.

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