The world disappeared.
Aria could no longer hear the burning village.
She couldn’t hear the wolves.
She couldn’t hear Kael calling her name.
Everything became distant.
There was only one thing she could see.
Him.
The man sitting on the throne above the clouds.
The Shadow King.
His silver eyes were fixed on hers.
And suddenly—
Aria remembered.
She was standing in a palace.
Not the palace she knew.
This one was enormous.
Silver towers reached toward the sky.
Moonlight flowed through the windows like water.
Thousands of wolves knelt before her.
She wore a crown.
Not a golden crown.
A silver one.
Jewels shaped like crescent moons rested across her forehead.
She looked down at her hands.
They were different.
Older.
Powerful.
A voice spoke behind her.
“My Queen.”
Aria turned.
Malakai.
But he wasn’t the Malakai she knew.
He wore silver armor.
A sword hung at his waist.
He bowed.
“The armies are ready.”
Aria smiled.
“Then we leave at dawn.”
Malakai looked concerned.
“You shouldn’t go.”
“I have to.”
“Why?”
“Because he is coming.”
Malakai’s face changed.
“Who?”
Aria looked toward the window.
“The Shadow King.”
Malakai stepped closer.
“You cannot fight him alone.”
“I won’t be alone.”
She touched her stomach.
Malakai’s eyes widened.
“You’re…”
“Pregnant.”
He smiled.
“Then you have even more reason to stay.”
Aria shook her head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if I don’t stop him, there won’t be a world for my child.”
Malakai lowered his head.
“Then I will protect you.”
Aria smiled.
“I know.”
The memory changed.
Aria was standing in a forest.
The moon was red.
Malakai stood beside her.
A man approached.
The Shadow King.
But he wasn’t sitting on a throne.
He was smiling.
He looked human.
Beautiful.
Almost gentle.
Aria remembered his name.
“Azrael.”
The Shadow King smiled.
“You came.”
Aria raised her sword.
“You killed my soldiers.”
“They attacked me.”
“You entered my kingdom.”
“I entered because you belong with me.”
“I belong to no one.”
He laughed.
“You said that before.”
Aria’s expression hardened.
“You’ve been trying to destroy my kingdom for years.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“I’ve been trying to make you remember.”
“Remember what?”
“Us.”
Aria’s heart tightened.
“You and I were never—”
“You loved me.”
The words stopped her.
He continued.
“You loved me before you became Queen.”
“No.”
“You don’t remember.”
“I remember enough.”
He reached toward her.
She stepped away.
“You betrayed me.”
His smile disappeared.
“You chose them.”
“I chose my people.”
“You chose Malakai.”
Aria looked at him.
“He’s my guardian.”
“He’s more than that.”
“He is loyal.”
The Shadow King laughed.
“Everyone is loyal until power is offered.”
Aria raised her sword.
“Leave.”
He stared at her.
Then smiled.
“You’ll come to me.”
“I won’t.”
“You will.”
He turned away.
“Because the child you’re carrying belongs to me.”
Aria froze.
“What did you say?”
He looked back.
“Your child.”
His silver eyes glowed.
“She will open the gate.”
Aria’s blood ran cold.
“You’ll never touch her.”
The Shadow King disappeared.
The memory changed again.
The palace was burning.
Wolves screamed.
Aria ran through the corridors.
“Malakai!”
No answer.
She reached the throne room.
Her father was there.
Lucian.
He was holding a sword.
“What happened?”
He turned toward her.
“The Shadow King attacked.”
“Where is Malakai?”
Lucian didn’t answer.
“Where is my husband?”
Silence.
Aria froze.
“My husband?”
Lucian lowered his sword.
“Aria…”
“Where is he?”
“He betrayed you.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“He opened the gates.”
“You’re lying.”
“Look.”
A black symbol had appeared on it.
“The seal is broken.”
Aria’s eyes widened.
“Where is Malakai?”
A voice answered from behind her.
“Right here.”
She turned.
Malakai stood in the doorway.
Blood covered his armor.
Aria’s face lit up.
“Malakai.”
She ran toward him.
He caught her.
“I’m sorry.”
She pulled back.
“For what?”
He looked into her eyes.
“I couldn’t stop them.”
“Who?”
“The Shadow King.”
Aria shook her head.
“He said you betrayed me.”
Malakai’s expression changed.
“He’s lying.”
Lucian stepped forward.
“No.”
Malakai looked at him.
“King Lucian.”
“You opened the gate.”
“I was trying to close it.”
“You failed.”
Aria looked between them.
“Stop.”
Neither listened.
Lucian raised his sword.
Malakai attacked.
The two men collided.
Aria screamed.
“Stop!”
A powerful blast threw them apart.
Aria’s eyes turned silver.
The palace shook.
“Enough!”
Both men stopped.
Aria looked at Malakai.
“Tell me the truth.”
Malakai lowered his head.
“I opened the gate.”
Aria’s heart broke.
“Why?”
“Because the Shadow King promised to return your memories.”
She stared at him.
“What?”
“I thought if you remembered who you were, you could defeat him.”
“You risked everyone.”
“I was wrong.”
Aria stepped backward.
“Yes.”
Malakai’s eyes filled with tears.
“I am sorry.”
Aria turned away.
Then a sword pierced her stomach.
She gasped.
Everything stopped.
She looked down.
Blood.
Her blood.
The sword was in her body.
She slowly turned.
Lucian stood behind her.
His face was emotionless.
“Father?”
His hand trembled.
“I’m sorry.”
Aria collapsed.
Malakai screamed.
“No!”
The Shadow King appeared.
He stood behind Lucian.
Smiling.
“Finally.”
Aria looked at him.
“Why?”
The Shadow King stepped closer.
“Because your blood is the key.”
He placed his hand over her wound.
Darkness entered her body.
Aria screamed.
“You’ll never have my child.”
He smiled.
“I already do.”
Her vision blurred.
The last thing she saw was Malakai fighting the Shadow King.
Then darkness.
Aria opened her eyes.
She was back in the present.
She fell to her knees.
Kael rushed toward her.
“Aria!”
She pushed him away.
“Don’t.”
He stopped.
Her hands were shaking.
“I remember.”
Kael looked at her.
“What?”
“I remember my first life.”
Damon stepped closer.
“What happened?”
Aria looked at the sky.
“Malakai didn’t kill me.”
Kael’s expression changed.
“Who did?”
Aria swallowed.
“My father.”
Lucian closed his eyes.
Kael turned toward him.
“You.”
Lucian said nothing.
Aria looked at him.
“Why?”
Lucian’s face was filled with regret.
“Because I thought I was saving you.”
“You stabbed me.”
“Yes.”
“You killed me.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
Lucian looked toward the throne in the sky.
“Because the Shadow King had already marked you.”
Aria froze.
“What does that mean?”
“He couldn’t be killed.”
“Then what?”
“His soul needed a vessel.”
Aria’s chest tightened.
“Me.”
Lucian nodded.
“He wanted to possess you.”
“So you killed me.”
“To stop him.”
Aria laughed bitterly.
“You call that saving me?”
Lucian’s voice broke.
“I had no choice.”
“There is always a choice.”
Elena looked at him.
“You said the same thing when you killed me.”
Lucian looked away.
Aria stared at her parents.
Both had lied.
Both had made choices for her.
Both had claimed they were protecting her.
And somehow she had still ended up here.
The Shadow King laughed from above.
“How beautiful.”
Aria looked up.
He stepped down from the black staircase.
Each step brought him closer.
“You remember.”
Aria’s eyes narrowed.
“You killed me.”
“You murdered me.”
“Because you betrayed me.”
“I chose my people.”
“You chose them over me.”
“You wanted to destroy everything.”
“I wanted you.”
Aria raised her hand.
Silver light gathered.
“I don’t belong to you.”
The Shadow King smiled.
“Not yet.”
He raised his hand.
The sky turned black.
Thousands of shadow creatures descended.
Kael transformed.
Damon transformed.
Lucian drew his sword.
Elena’s eyes turned black.
The kingdom prepared for war.
But the Shadow King looked only at Aria.
“Come to me.”
“No.”
“You will.”
“I won’t.”
He smiled.
“Then I’ll take you.”
He disappeared.
Aria felt a hand grab her from behind.
She turned.
A shadow creature had wrapped its claws around her waist.
“Let me go!”
She blasted it away.
Another attacked.
Then another.
Kael fought his way toward her.
“Aria!”
Damon was beside him.
“Get her out!”
Kael nodded.
They formed a barrier around her.
Aria looked at them.
“Why are you both protecting me?”
Damon answered first.
“Because I love you.”
Silence.
Aria stared at him.
Damon looked away.
Kael’s expression hardened.
Then he stepped forward.
“I love you too.”
Aria’s heart stopped.
Kael looked directly into her eyes.
“I didn’t want to say it.”
“Why?”
“Because I knew what it would cost.”
“What?”
“Everything.”
The Shadow King appeared behind them.
He smiled.
“Now this is interesting.”
Kael turned.
The Shadow King raised his hand.
A black spear formed.
He threw it.
Kael pushed Aria aside.
The spear pierced his chest.
“Kael!”
He collapsed.
Aria screamed.
Damon attacked.
The Shadow King struck him down.
Aria ran toward Kael.
Blood covered his shirt.
His eyes slowly closed.
“No.”
She dropped beside him.
“Kael.”
He opened his eyes.
“Run.”
“No.”
“Aria…”
“I’m not leaving you.”
The Shadow King walked closer.
“Then die with him.”
Aria looked up.
Something inside her snapped.
The silver crown appeared above her head.
The entire kingdom fell silent.
Every wolf stopped fighting.
Every shadow creature lowered its head.
Even the Shadow King stopped.
Aria stood.
Her eyes were completely silver.
Her voice was no longer the voice of an eighteen-year-old girl.
It was the voice of a Queen.
“You’ve had your chance.”
The ground cracked beneath her feet.
The sky split open.
A massive silver moon appeared above the kingdom.
Aria raised her hand.
Every creature in the battlefield turned toward her.
“Now…”
Her voice echoed across both realms.
“…kneel.”
One by one, thousands of creatures dropped to their knees.
The Shadow King remained standing.
But for the first time in thousands of years…
He looked afraid.
Aria looked at him.
“Your reign ends tonight.”
The Shadow King smiled.
“Then come, my Queen.”
He opened a portal behind him.
“I’ll be waiting.”
He disappeared.
The portal closed.
Aria turned toward Kael.
He was still unconscious.
She dropped beside him.
“Please…”
Her hands glowed silver.
“Don’t die.”
The silver energy entered his body.
His wound began closing.
Damon stared.
“She healed him.”
Aria looked at Kael.
His eyes slowly opened.
He whispered:
“You remembered.”
Aria nodded.
“Everything.”
Kael tried to sit up.
“What are you going to do?”
Aria looked toward the dark sky.
Her expression hardened.
“I’m going after him.”
Kael grabbed her hand.
“Don’t.”
She looked down.
“Why?”
“Because that’s exactly what he wants.”
Aria squeezed his hand.
“I know.”
“Then why?”
She looked toward the Moon Gate.
“Because I’m not running anymore.”
Far away, inside the Shadow Realm, the Shadow King sat upon his throne.
A dark figure approached him.
“My King.”
The Shadow King smiled.
“She’s coming.”
The figure bowed.
“And when she arrives?”
The Shadow King looked at the silver moon in the distance.
“We begin the final part of the prophecy.”
“What prophecy?”
The Shadow King smiled.
“The one where the Queen kills the man she loves.”
His eyes glowed silver.
“Then becomes mine forever.”