CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
TANYA'S POV
I didn't sleep.
Not even for a moment.
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Every time I closed my eyes—
I saw him.
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Daniel.
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His voice.
His words.
His confession.
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"I couldn't hurt her."
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I sat on the edge of my bed, my fingers clenched tightly as my thoughts refused to settle.
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He came to destroy us.
That was the truth.
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He came for the baobab tree.
To save his father.
To save his kingdom.
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And yet—
He didn't.
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I stood up slowly, walking toward the window as the cold night air brushed against my skin.
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"What changed you?" I whispered.
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Why didn't he take the opportunity?
Why didn't he kill me when he had the chance?
Why did he save me…
Again and again?
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My chest tightened.
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Memories began to surface.
Ones I had buried deep inside.
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That day…
When I was still human.
Weak.
Powerless.
Broken.
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The guards beat me without mercy.
I begged.
I cried.
But no one listened.
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No one cared.
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Except—
Him.
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Daniel.
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He was the one who stopped them.
The only one who showed me mercy.
The only one who saw me as human.
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My breath trembled.
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"So you were always like this…" I whispered.
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Not cruel.
Not heartless.
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Just trapped between duty…
And choice.
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I closed my eyes tightly.
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"If you were not bad…"
My voice broke slightly.
"Then why?"
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Why did he come to destroy us?
Why did he choose this path?
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If he needed the baobab roots…
He could have asked.
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We are not monsters.
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Or maybe…
That's how he saw us.
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The truth remained.
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No matter what I felt…
No matter what he felt…
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He was still the son of my enemy.
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The king.
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The man I swore to destroy.
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I stepped back slowly, my heart heavy.
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"If I don't eliminate him…" I whispered,
"I will break my oath."
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The oath I made to myself.
Never to love.
Never to feel.
Never to be weak again.
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But now…
I was already breaking.
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I held my chest tightly.
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"This is wrong…"
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Everything was happening too fast.
Too sudden.
Too painful.
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Before we even understood each other—
Fate had already turned us into enemies.
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Tears rolled down my cheeks silently.
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"I hate this…"
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Just as I turned away from the window—
I felt it.
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A presence.
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"Child…"
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I froze.
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My godmother stood behind me.
Her eyes calm…
But knowing.
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"How long have you been standing there?" I asked, quickly wiping my tears.
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"Long enough," she replied softly.
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I straightened myself, forcing a calm expression.
"I am fine," I said.
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But she didn't respond.
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Instead—
She simply watched me.
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That silence made my heart uneasy.
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Without another word, she turned and walked away.
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I thought that was the end of it.
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But I was wrong.
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Inside her chamber—
She stood before the sacred mirror.
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The air around her shifted as she activated it.
Dark smoke curled across its surface…
Forming images.
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She watched everything.
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Me following Daniel.
The palace.
The truth.
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Daniel.
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The prince.
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His confession.
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Her expression darkened slightly.
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"So… it has begun," she whispered.
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She stepped back slowly.
Her mind heavy with realization.
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"The ancestors were right…"
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She remembered that day.
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When Daniel was first captured.
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When she was about to end his life.
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But something stopped her.
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A voice.
Ancient.
Powerful.
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"Do not kill him."
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"His destiny is tied to the witches."
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At that time, she didn't understand.
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But now…
She did.
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Her eyes closed briefly.
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"Tanya…" she whispered.
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She had seen it clearly.
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The way Tanya looked at him.
The way her heart struggled.
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Love.
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Even if Tanya refused to admit it—
It was already there.
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And the same…
Was true for Daniel.
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Her expression hardened.
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"This is dangerous…"
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In their covenant—
It was forbidden.
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A taboo.
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A witch…
Falling in love with a human.
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It could bring destruction.
Chaos.
Even death.
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"Daniel must be eliminated," she said quietly.
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But then—
She hesitated.
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The ancestors' warning echoed in her mind.
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His destiny…
Was connected to the witches.
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If she killed him—
Would she be defying fate?
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Or protecting her people?
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She turned away from the mirror slowly.
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"I need answers," she whispered.
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Without wasting another moment—
She prepared to consult the ancestors.
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Because this…
Was no longer just about love.
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It was about destiny.
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And the future of the covenant.
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Meanwhile—
I remained in my chamber.
Unaware of everything.
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Still fighting my thoughts.
Still fighting my heart.
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Still trying to choose—
Between love…
Revenge…
And my oath.
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END OF CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE