Chapter 310: Death or Humiliation

Third-person POV

Yuna watched as Iris paced back and forth across the small room, her boots clicking softly against the floor. At first, she hadn’t minded the silence.

She had assumed Iris was just thinking, that maybe she was planning out their next move against Electra, maybe gathering her dark little thoughts before sharing them, but after nearly ten minutes of watching Iris do nothing but pace and mutter under her breath, Yuna felt her patience snap.

She cleared her throat loudly, folding her arms across her chest. “Are you going to say anything, Iris?” she asked, her voice sharp with irritation. “Because I didn’t come all the way here to watch you walk around like a lunatic.”

Iris stopped pacing, her head snapping up, her cold eyes meeting Yuna’s. For a second, Yuna thought Iris might lash out at her, but instead, Iris let out a sigh, running a hand through her hair.

“I’m sorry,” Iris said, though her tone sounded flat, almost forced. “I was just… processing.”

Yuna raised an eyebrow. “Processing what, exactly? And why did you call me here? I’m not exactly in the mood to watch you brood.”

Iris ignored the sarcasm. “I needed to ask you something,” she said quietly. Then her eyes sharpened, pinning Yuna in place. “I needed to know if you’re still on my side.”

Yuna blinked. “What the hell are you talking about?” she demanded. “Of course I’m on your side. As long as your side involves destroying Electra Vale, then yes, I’m still on your damn side.”

But Iris just stared at her, unblinking, her expression unreadable. “I’m struggling to believe that,” she said finally, her voice soft but icy. “Because if you truly hated Electra like you say you do… then why is your dear twin sister working with her?”

For a moment, Yuna could only stare at her. Then she scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. “What the hell are you yapping about now, Iris? Why would Yura ever be on the same team as Electra?”

Iris tilted her head, that mocking smirk twisting her lips. “Oh, you didn’t know?” she purred. “Interesting. So your precious twin is keeping secrets from you. How adorable.”

Yuna took a step forward, glaring at her. “Spit it out, Iris, and don’t play games with me. What do you mean Yura is working with Electra?”

Iris shrugged one delicate shoulder. “Apparently, Electra’s enchanted archery team needed a new member, and your sister, your sweet, quiet, harmless sister, decided to fill that role.”

Yuna felt something in her chest twist painfully. “No,” she whispered, more to herself than to Iris. Then, louder: “That’s bullshit. Yura hates Electra. She hates her as much as I do, and she’d never—”

“She would,” Iris interrupted smoothly. “Because unlike you, Yura is weak. She strikes me as the kind of girl that bends under pressure, and maybe… maybe Electra offered her something, or maybe your sister just isn’t as loyal as you think she is.”

Yuna shook her head, backing away. “You’re lying,” she said. But even as she said it, doubt was creeping in, worming its way into her heart.

“Go see for yourself,” Iris said. “They’re probably at the training ground right now. Go on and ask her. See if I’m lying.”

Yuna clenched her fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms until it hurt. She didn’t want to believe Iris. Didn’t want to believe that Yura would do something like this behind her back, but the way Iris looked at her… the confidence in her voice…

She hated Iris. Hated her so much in that moment, but she also knew Iris didn’t lie just for fun.

Yuna let out a sigh of frustration, crossing her arms tightly over her chest as she glared at Iris. “Fine,” she said, her voice laced with impatience. “If you’re telling the truth and my sister really is working with Electra, then I’ll deal with her. I’ll figure out what she thinks she’s doing and fix it, but for now, can you just tell me what the hell you actually have planned next?”

Iris’s lips twitched, almost like she wanted to smile, but the expression was bitter. “You’re so eager,” she murmured. “It’s almost… cute.”

“Shut up,” Yuna snapped. “The last time we talked, you said the Revernyn tournament wasn’t just a competition; it was a succession war. That this was our chance to bring Electra down for good. So tell me, what’s the plan? How do we stop her from coming out on top?”

Iris let out a sigh, finally stopping her pacing as she moved to the table in the middle of the room. She rested her hands on its surface, her head bowed slightly, her red hair falling over her face. “The truth is,” she said slowly, “there’s just no way that pathetic human boy they’re calling Electra’s competitor is going to beat her. Especially not now, after her awakening.”

Yuna’s frown deepened. “No way at all?”

Iris glanced at her, eyes flashing with something dark. “Electra isn’t the same, Yuna. That bitch is a lot stronger than she even realizes, and that pathetic little excuse of a prince Jella picked to challenge her… he doesn’t stand a chance. Even Jella doesn’t realize it yet, but an arrow through the heart isn’t going to be enough to kill her.”

Yuna sucked in a breath. She wasn’t exactly surprised; she already knew that Phoenixes, even half-blood ones, weren’t so easy to kill, but hearing it out loud sent a shiver down her spine. “So… what?” she demanded. “You’re saying we can’t kill her? That we’ve got no shot?”

Iris’s lips curled into a smile. “Oh, I didn’t say that. I’m just saying we might need to… change tactics.”

Yuna narrowed her eyes. “Meaning?”

“Meaning,” Iris said, her voice soft and almost gleeful, “if we can’t figure out how to kill her during the tournament, then we do the next best thing: we expose her. Publicly. We show everyone exactly what she is.”

For a moment, Yuna could only stare at her. Then the realization hit, and her eyes widened. “You mean… reveal she’s a Phoenix?”

Iris nodded, her smile widening. “Exactly. Think about it, Yuna. Elmeria may tolerate some strange things, but they’ll never accept a Phoenix. They’ll see her as a threat and a monster. She’ll be stripped of her title immediately and cast out. If the tournament doesn’t kill her, her own kingdom will.”

Yuna’s stomach twisted. Even she had to admit that it was a cruel plan. Effective, though, but ruthless.

She swallowed. “And if she fights back? What if she just… burns everyone alive? You said it yourself that she’s powerful.”

Iris’s smile didn’t falter. “Then she proves us right. Either way, we win. Either she dies, or she loses everything, and I, for one, would be happy with either outcome.”

Yuna looked away, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides. She hated Electra. She wanted her gone, wanted her humiliated, and wanted her to suffer for every damn thing she’d done, but there was really something… unsettling about Iris’s smile, about the bright, almost feverish gleam in her eyes.

Still, she forced herself to nod. “Fine,” she said quietly. “But how exactly are we supposed to expose her? You know she’ll be careful. She’s not going to just shift into her Phoenix form in front of everyone.”

“That’s the beauty of it,” Iris said, leaning closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing the world’s most precious secret. “She doesn’t have to shift. She just has to lose control. All that power… it’s simmering under her skin. All it takes is a push from us, and when that happens, when everyone sees what she really is, there will be no hiding anymore.”

Yuna let out a shaky breath. “And how do we make that happen?”

Iris tilted her head. “Leave that to me. All you need to do is make sure you’re watching when it happens, and maybe… keep your dear sister out of the way.”

Yuna bristled at the mention of Yura. “I’ll handle my sister,” she spat. “Just… don’t screw this up, Iris.”

Iris laughed softly. “Oh, Yuna. I never screw things up.”

Yuna didn’t believe that for a second, but she kept her mouth shut. Because right now, Iris was the only one with a plan, and as much as it made her skin crawl… they needed each other.

For now.

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