Everyone in the comments: Helene is awful boo get her out of here Me, utterly adoring her as the best female character I’ve seen written: she’s amazing, actually,
If you reread this story from the beginning, I’m starting to think Helene only hates the fake Lyla because she took the real Lyla’s place and she might be looking for a way to bring the real Lyla back by becoming Emperor.
The fact she snaps at our Lyla calling her “sister” paired with the way she says “how could you do this…what have you done?” makes me think Helene witnessed the original Lyla dying on her and our Lyla mistook that for Helene trying to kill her when actually the real Lyla died of something else (perhaps poisoning?). Also love the detail that Helene swapped out the Dragon’s Heart and that’s why it never worked for Kian in the beginning chapters.
I also think Helene is a lot more complex than people give her credit for. She’s probably thd only OG FL in a story who maintains a consistent presence in the narrative as neither good nor bad.
And yes I’m aware she’s an antagonist but look at the way she shows signs of caring about Lyla (from checking up on her reluctantly to flinching at the revelation Lyla might die to looking sentimentally sad when she attacks Lyla and says she wants her to disappear) and how there are actually hints that Helene and original Lyla were close (see: Helene seeming betrayed by Lyla for an unknown reason, how protag!Lyla even states “why did the original Lyla stay in this awful family anyways?” suggesting she had a reason I.e Helene, and how protag!Lyla’s first words to Helene are “who are you?” alongside how the next thing Helene says to protag!Lyla is “don’t call me your sister”)
and I think we’re going to eventually get a revelation that Helene cared deeply for the original Lyla and is just a twisted person who happens to want her REAL sister back no matter if she has to “disappear” the current Lyla to do so :’)
(Also food for thought: it’s hinted the original Lyla still exists and she’s the one able to eject our protag into the real world. More food for thought: Paris says Lyla and Helene are similar to each other (though he never reveals /how/). You also have to wonder too if “the voice” is future!Lyla. And if so, why is she putting her own self through this hell and why is it necessary she got the emperor and Sienna to take the steps they did to bring her into existence? And why is Helene so prevalent throughout the story despite only starting to take noticeable action in the plot as of the chapter 40 mark? It’s all so curious and I definitely recommend a reread of the story after you catch up to try and catch some details that are definitely being foreshadowed very early on~)
Everyone in the comments: Helene is awful boo get her out of here
Me, utterly adoring her as the best female character I’ve seen written: she’s amazing, actually,
If you reread this story from the beginning, I’m starting to think Helene only hates the fake Lyla because she took the real Lyla’s place and she might be looking for a way to bring the real Lyla back by becoming Emperor.
The fact she snaps at our Lyla calling her “sister” paired with the way she says “how could you do this…what have you done?” makes me think Helene witnessed the original Lyla dying on her and our Lyla mistook that for Helene trying to kill her when actually the real Lyla died of something else (perhaps poisoning?). Also love the detail that Helene swapped out the Dragon’s Heart and that’s why it never worked for Kian in the beginning chapters.
I also think Helene is a lot more complex than people give her credit for. She’s probably thd only OG FL in a story who maintains a consistent presence in the narrative as neither good nor bad.
And yes I’m aware she’s an antagonist but look at the way she shows signs of caring about Lyla (from checking up on her reluctantly to flinching at the revelation Lyla might die to looking sentimentally sad when she attacks Lyla and says she wants her to disappear) and how there are actually hints that Helene and original Lyla were close (see: Helene seeming betrayed by Lyla for an unknown reason, how protag!Lyla even states “why did the original Lyla stay in this awful family anyways?” suggesting she had a reason I.e Helene, and how protag!Lyla’s first words to Helene are “who are you?” alongside how the next thing Helene says to protag!Lyla is “don’t call me your sister”)
and I think we’re going to eventually get a revelation that Helene cared deeply for the original Lyla and is just a twisted person who happens to want her REAL sister back no matter if she has to “disappear” the current Lyla to do so :’)
(Also food for thought: it’s hinted the original Lyla still exists and she’s the one able to eject our protag into the real world. More food for thought: Paris says Lyla and Helene are similar to each other (though he never reveals /how/). You also have to wonder too if “the voice” is future!Lyla. And if so, why is she putting her own self through this hell and why is it necessary she got the emperor and Sienna to take the steps they did to bring her into existence? And why is Helene so prevalent throughout the story despite only starting to take noticeable action in the plot as of the chapter 40 mark? It’s all so curious and I definitely recommend a reread of the story after you catch up to try and catch some details that are definitely being foreshadowed very early on~)