Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 214: Survived...

Chapter 214: Survived...

"Luther was the King’s most trusted advisor," Tobias continued. "They’ll honour that legacy, even if they don’t know they’re honouring me and that... That’s the beauty of it."

"You’re insane," Evelina whispered. "You actually think this kingdom will just... hand itself over to you?"

Tobias raised one brow. "Not willingly. But they will. Out of desperation. When the fires spread and the old gods fail them, they’ll look to what’s left."

"Which is you," she spat, "standing on a mountain of ash and bones."

"You still don’t see it," he said, stepping closer. "This world doesn’t need saving—it needs replacing."

Evelina’s dagger twitched in her hand.

Relia murmured, "He’s drawing close. But so is Damian. Just a few more seconds—keep him talking, Evie."

So she did. "And what about me?" she said bitterly. "Where do I fit into your brave new empire? Another weapon in your army? Or just a pretty symbol to make you look legitimate?"

His expression softened—almost. "I meant what I said. Equality. You’re the only one in this world who thinks like me. You could stand beside me. We could change everything."

Evelina’s lip curled. "You said that once before. Right before you tried to publish my research under your name."

"That was survival," Tobias said. "That was desperation. I was trying to stay in the game."

"Your plan would have ended my career. Hell, it ended my life."

"I tried to save you after the lab fire," he said sharply.

"You started the fire," Evelina snapped. "You sabotaged the pressure valves!"

Tobias paused.

His mask of civility cracked for a blink—then smoothed again.

"We both survived," he said evenly. "That’s what matters."

Relia pressed urgently. "He’s nearly here. One more step—"

And then, in the distance, she heard it. The soft crunch of boots over pine needles.

Tobias turned his head slightly.

Too late.

Damian crashed through the clearing with a roar, eyes blazing with stormlight, claws already half-shifted.

"Get away from her!"

Evelina flinched—but when she turned to glance at Tobias—

He was gone.

Not vanished like mist—but moving.

Fast.

Too fast.

Already fading into the trees, a shadow slipping between trunks.

Damian reached Evelina’s side in seconds. "Are you hurt?"

"No," she said quickly, panting. "No, I’m fine."

"Where is he?" Damian growled, scanning the woods, but there was nothing now—no figure, no footsteps. Only silence.

Evelina stared in the direction Tobias had vanished.

Her chest ached with something like fury—and something like grief.

She forced her eyes to meet his. "Luther."

A beat of silence. Damian’s brow furrowed. "Luther?"

"He’s the one behind the attacks. I followed him after the breach. He was moving toward the hills, just beyond the southern line."

Damian’s eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched. "And you went after him. Alone."

"I had to," Evelina said softly. "He was just walking around like he didn’t care who saw him. I needed to figure out what he was up to and where he was headed."

"You could have been killed."

"I know."

Damian didn’t yell. He didn’t snap. But the tension in his voice was like a blade drawn too tight. "And what did he say? Why now? Why this attack?"

She looked away briefly, just long enough to keep her expression calm. "He said Arcadia was built on lies. That he’s finishing what he started."

Damian’s silence spoke volumes. She could feel it—the rage just beneath his skin. His hands clenched at his sides.

Evelina took a breath, her gaze still lingering on the path where Tobias—Luther—had vanished. The cold edge of adrenaline had faded, leaving a raw, aching weight in her chest.

"He told me the king executed his family," she said quietly.

Damian’s eyes flicked to her. "What?"

She turned back to him. "Luther—he said King Lucien had his entire family put to death when he was young. Claimed they were traitors. No trial. No evidence. Just... gone. Publicly, to send a message."

Damian’s brows furrowed deeply, tension radiating from every line of his body. "That’s not in any of the records."

"Because they wouldn’t keep something like that in the records," Evelina replied. "If it was meant to be erased, it would’ve been."

He exhaled hard through his nose, as if trying to suppress the rising anger inside him. "I grew up under that man. I trained under him. He taught me justice, discipline... mercy. I don’t want to believe he was capable of that."

Evelina’s voice was softer now, but still firm. "Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter to Luther anymore. He believes it. And that belief is what’s driving him."

Damian’s eyes darkened, stormlight flickering faintly. "And he’s using it as an excuse to burn the kingdom to the ground."

"To replace it," Evelina murmured. "He thinks Arcadia is beyond saving. That it needs to be razed so something ’stronger’ can rise from its ashes."

Damian’s jaw tightened. "And who does he expect to rule the new world?"

She hesitated. "Him. He didn’t say it outright, but... he believes Arcadia will come crawling to him when everything else falls. That he’ll become the one they turn to when they’re too desperate to resist."

Damian cursed under his breath. "And he’s not just building an army of rogues. He’s training soldiers. He’s planning for something bigger."

"He already started," Evelina said, voice low. "The siege wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning."

Damian’s fists clenched at his sides. "Then we stop him before the next fire."

He looked at her. "We stop him together."

She nodded once.

"If we can just track him, then we can end it before this becomes a war we can’t win."

Evelina nodded slowly. "He’s planning more. This was only a test."

He turned toward the path. "We have to get back to the palace. You shouldn’t be out here, not like this."

She hesitated, one last time, glancing over her shoulder.

Tobias had disappeared without a trace and she can only imagine what plans he have next.

Damian offered his hand, palm up. "Come on. Let’s go home."

Evelina placed her fingers in his.

And without another word, they walked back into the night.