Aria stood before the Moon Gate.
The kingdom behind her was still recovering from the attack.
Smoke rose from the ruined buildings.
Wounded wolves were being carried toward the healers.
The dead were being counted.
And above everything hung the silver moon she had summoned.
It had not disappeared.
It watched.
Almost as if it were waiting.
Kael stood beside her.
His wound had healed, but the pain had not completely disappeared.
“You can’t go alone.”
Aria looked at him.
“I’m not planning to.”
Damon stepped forward.
“I’m coming.”
Kael immediately shook his head.
“No.”
Damon’s eyes narrowed.
“You don’t get to decide that.”
“I do when I’m responsible for keeping everyone alive.”
Damon laughed bitterly.
“You almost died ten minutes ago.”
“And I’m still standing.”
“Because Aria saved you.”
Kael’s gaze moved toward Aria.
“Exactly.”
Damon looked at her.
“Then you need both of us.”
Aria sighed.
“I don’t need either of you fighting over me.”
“We aren’t.”
Both men said it at the same time.
Aria stared at them.
Then she shook her head.
“You’re both impossible.”
Damon smiled faintly.
For a moment, things felt almost normal.
Then the Moon Gate trembled.
Aria’s smile disappeared.
A voice whispered from inside.
Queen.
She stepped closer.
“Who is that?”
Kael grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t.”
The voice came again.
Come.
Aria closed her eyes.
Lyra stirred inside her.
It is calling us.
“Why?”
Because it knows we are ready.
Aria opened her eyes.
“What happens if I enter?”
Kael answered.
“You may never return.”
“Why?”
“The Shadow Realm doesn’t follow the same rules as this world.”
Damon added:
“Time moves differently there.”
“How differently?”
“A day here could be a year there.”
Aria stared at the gate.
“And if I stay too long?”
“You could forget who you are.”
Aria’s expression hardened.
“I’ve already spent eighteen years not knowing who I was.”
She stepped forward.
“I’m not afraid of forgetting anymore.”
Kael caught her hand.
“Aria.”
She looked at him.
“I need to go.”
“I know.”
“Then don’t stop me.”
Kael was silent.
Finally, he released her.
“Then I’m coming.”
Damon stepped beside him.
“So am I.”
Aria smiled.
“Fine.”
She looked toward the gate.
“Let’s end this.”
They stepped through.
The temperature dropped immediately.
Aria shivered.
The world on the other side was nothing like she expected.
There was no ground.
At least not at first.
They stood on a massive black platform suspended above an endless abyss.
Purple lightning moved through dark clouds.
Strange silver trees grew upside down from the floating islands above them.
Far in the distance stood an enormous castle.
Its towers disappeared into the clouds.
Damon stared.
“This place is…”
“Beautiful,” Aria whispered.
Kael looked at her.
“Don’t let it fool you.”
A soft laugh echoed behind them.
“You always were difficult to impress.”
Aria turned.
Malakai stood several meters away.
His clothes were torn.
Blood covered his face.
But he was alive.
Damon raised his sword.
“Don’t move.”
Malakai smiled.
“If I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be standing.”
Kael stepped forward.
“What are you doing here?”
“Waiting.”
“For what?”
Malakai looked at Aria.
“For her.”
Aria frowned.
“Why?”
“Because you need answers.”
“I have enough answers.”
“No.”
Malakai’s eyes became serious.
“You have memories.”
“There’s a difference.”
Aria stared at him.
“You betrayed me.”
“I did.”
“You opened the gate.”
“Yes.”
“You caused my death.”
Malakai lowered his head.
“Yes.”
“Then why should I trust you?”
“You shouldn’t.”
Aria blinked.
Malakai continued.
“But you should listen.”
Kael stepped between them.
“Speak.”
Malakai looked at him.
“You still don’t understand the prophecy.”
“Then explain it.”
Malakai looked at Aria.
“The Queen’s return was never the prophecy.”
“What was?”
“The Queen’s choice.”
Aria frowned.
“Choice between what?”
“Love and power.”
Damon crossed his arms.
“That’s all?”
Malakai shook his head.
“The prophecy says the Queen will have two men beside her.”
Aria looked at Damon and Kael.
“Two?”
“One will love her.”
He looked at Damon.
“The other will rule beside her.”
His eyes moved to Kael.
“And one of them will die.”
Silence.
Aria’s stomach tightened.
“No.”
Malakai continued.
“Only then can the Shadow King be destroyed.”
Kael’s face became grim.
“So the prophecy requires a sacrifice.”
“Yes.”
Aria shook her head.
“No.”
Malakai looked at her.
“You can’t change it.”
“Watch me.”
She turned away.
“I refuse.”
Kael looked at her.
“Aria…”
“No.”
She faced both men.
“I’m done allowing prophecies to decide my life.”
Damon nodded.
“Good.”
Kael smiled faintly.
“I agree.”
Malakai looked surprised.
“You think you can defy destiny?”
Aria stepped closer.
“I already have.”
She raised her hand.
Silver energy surrounded her.
“I died once.”
The ground shook.
“I was betrayed.”
The sky flashed.
“I was reborn.”
Her eyes became silver.
“And I’m still here.”
Malakai stared.
“You’ve changed.”
“No.”
Aria looked toward the castle.
“I’m finally remembering who I am.”
They began walking.
The path stretched toward the castle.
But after several minutes, Aria noticed something.
There were footprints beside them.
Fresh ones.
She stopped.
“Someone is following us.”
Kael immediately drew his sword.
Damon shifted into his wolf form.
Nothing appeared.
Aria looked down.
The footprints were gone.
“Maybe I imagined it.”
“No.”
Kael looked ahead.
“We’re being watched.”
A voice whispered from the trees.
“Correct.”
A group of masked figures stepped onto the path.
There were six of them.
All dressed in black.
All carrying silver weapons.
Kael stepped forward.
“Who are you?”
The tallest figure removed his mask.
Aria froze.
She knew him.
“Father?”
Lucian smiled.
“Hello, daughter.”
Aria’s expression hardened.
“You followed us.”
“I had to.”
“Why?”
“Because the Shadow King isn’t the only one who wants you.”
Aria raised her sword.
“You want me too.”
Lucian shook his head.
“I want to save you.”
“That’s what everyone says.”
“Then listen before judging me.”
Kael moved forward.
“You’ve done enough.”
Lucian’s eyes narrowed.
“You still blame me.”
“For killing Elena.”
“I did what I had to do.”
Kael’s expression became cold.
“And now you’re going to tell Aria the same excuse.”
Lucian ignored him.
“Aria, your mother is trapped here.”
Aria froze.
“What?”
“Her soul.”
“You said she was alive.”
“Part of her is.”
“What about the rest?”
Lucian looked toward the castle.
“The Shadow King took it.”
Aria’s heart pounded.
“Why?”
“Because he needs her.”
“For what?”
Lucian’s expression became grim.
“To control you.”
Aria’s hands clenched.
“How?”
“He cannot control the Queen directly.”
“But he can control someone she loves.”
Aria immediately thought of Kael.
Damon noticed.
“No.”
Lucian looked at him.
“The prophecy.”
Damon stepped forward.
“What about it?”
“The man Aria loves will be used as the final sacrifice.”
Damon’s expression changed.
Lucian continued.
“The Shadow King doesn’t need to kill Aria.”
“He needs her to kill the man she loves.”
Aria shook her head.
“I won’t.” This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Lucian looked at her.
“You already did.”
The world went silent.
“What?”
“In your first life.”
Aria’s breathing stopped.
Lucian continued.
“You didn’t kill yourself.”
“You killed him.”
Aria’s eyes widened.
“Who?”
Lucian looked toward Kael.
“Your King.”
Kael froze.
Damon looked at him.
“Kael?”
Aria stared at Kael.
“No.”
Kael’s face had gone pale.
Lucian nodded.
“In your first life, you killed the man who loved you.”
Aria couldn’t breathe.
“Who was he?”
Lucian answered:
“Malakai.”
Malakai, standing behind them, lowered his head.
Aria turned toward him.
“You…”
He closed his eyes.
“I loved you.”
Aria stepped backward.
“And I killed you?”
Malakai nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“You were controlled by the Shadow King.”
Aria’s chest tightened.
“What happened?”
Malakai looked at her.
“You chose him.”
“Who?”
“The Shadow King.”
Aria shook her head.
“No.”
“You believed he loved you.”
“That’s impossible.”
“It happened.”
Kael stepped forward.
“Enough.”
Malakai looked at him.
“You were there.”
Aria turned toward Kael.
“You knew.”
Kael said nothing.
“You knew.”
His eyes filled with regret.
“Yes.”
Aria’s voice broke.
“And you never told me.”
“I wanted to protect you.”
She laughed bitterly.
“Again.”
Kael stepped closer.
“Aria…”
She moved away.
“No.”
He stopped.
“I need space.”
Kael nodded.
Damon moved toward her.
But she raised her hand.
“Not you either.”
Damon stopped.
Aria turned toward the castle.
“I need to understand who I am before I choose anyone.”
Malakai nodded.
“Then come.”
“Where?”
He pointed toward the castle.
“The Hall of Memories.”
“What is it?”
“The place where your first life is recorded.”
Aria stared at the castle.
“Then that’s where I’m going.”
Kael followed.
“So are we.”
She didn’t argue.
The castle doors opened by themselves.
Inside was a massive hall filled with mirrors.
Hundreds of them.
Each mirror showed a different scene.
Aria walked past the first.
She saw herself as a child.
The second showed her mother.
The third showed Kael.
The fourth showed Damon.
Then she stopped.
One mirror showed her standing beside the Shadow King.
He was smiling.
She was smiling too.
They looked happy.
Aria touched the glass.
“I loved him.”
Malakai stood behind her.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he made you believe he loved you.”
“What changed?”
“The throne.”
Aria turned.
“What happened?”
Malakai looked toward another mirror.
“Watch.”
The image changed.
Aria saw herself sitting on the throne.
The Shadow King stood beside her.
Lucian stood before them.
Malakai stood behind her.
Then a baby was brought into the room.
A newborn.
Aria’s heart stopped.
“That’s…”
Malakai nodded.
“Your child.”
Aria stared at the baby.
Her hands trembled.
“Who is the father?”
The mirror went black.
Malakai’s expression became serious.
“That’s the memory you aren’t supposed to see.”
“Why?”
“Because if you remember who the father is…”
He looked toward Kael.
“…the prophecy changes.”
Kael’s face went pale.
Aria slowly turned toward him.
“Kael?”
Before he could answer, every mirror in the hall shattered at once.
A voice filled the castle.
“Enough memories.”
The Shadow King appeared at the end of the hall.
He smiled.
“Now…”
His silver eyes locked onto Aria.
“…let’s talk about our child.”