The temple shook violently.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Ancient stones cracked beneath Aria’s feet as black energy poured from Orion’s body.
His silver eyes had disappeared.
Only darkness remained.
“Mother…”
His voice was barely audible.
Aria tightened her grip on the Crown of Eternity.
“Orion.”
The boy looked at her.
For one brief second, his eyes returned to their natural silver.
“Run.”
Then the darkness swallowed him again.
A black mark spread across his neck.
Kael stepped forward.
“Aria, get away from him.”
“No.”
“He’s losing control.”
“He’s still my son.”
Kael grabbed her arm.
“And that’s exactly why you can’t let him hurt you.”
Aria pulled free.
“I won’t abandon him.”
The Shadow King laughed from above the throne.
“How touching.”
Aria looked up.
“You.”
The Shadow King descended slowly.
“You finally found your son.”
“You lied to me.”
“I told you exactly what you needed to hear.”
“You said he was your child.”
The Shadow King smiled.
“I never said he was.”
Aria’s eyes narrowed.
“You let me believe it.”
“Because it made you afraid.”
Kael stepped forward.
“You’ve had your fun.”
The Shadow King looked at him.
“You still don’t understand your place.”
Kael’s eyes flashed gold.
“My place is beside her.”
The Shadow King laughed.
“Beside her?”
He pointed toward Aria.
“She will eventually outgrow you.”
Kael raised his sword.
“We’ll see.”
The Shadow King lifted his hand.
Darkness slammed into Kael.
He flew backward and crashed into one of the temple pillars.
“Kael!”
Aria turned.
He struggled to stand.
“I’m fine.”
The Shadow King looked at Aria.
“You’re wasting your time.”
Aria turned back to Orion.
The boy was trembling.
His fingers dug into his arms.
Black veins covered his skin.
“Orion.”
He didn’t answer.
“Look at me.”
His head lifted.
For a moment, his eyes returned to silver.
“Mother…”
“I’m here.”
“I can’t stop him.”
“Yes, you can.”
“I’ve tried.”
“Then try again.”
“I can’t.”
“You can.”
The Shadow King laughed.
“He belongs to me.”
Aria’s eyes burned silver.
“No.”
She stepped closer to Orion.
“He belongs to himself.”
The Crown of Eternity began glowing.
The Shadow King immediately stopped smiling.
“Don’t.”
Aria looked at him.
“You’re afraid.”
His expression hardened.
“You don’t understand what that crown will do.”
“Then tell me.”
“It will destroy the vessel.”
Aria froze.
“The vessel?”
“Your son.”
Kael pushed himself away from the pillar.
“Aria!”
She looked at him.
The Shadow King smiled.
“Now you understand.”
“If I use the crown…”
“Your son dies.”
Aria stared at Orion.
The boy was crying.
“Don’t listen to him.”
Orion’s voice trembled.
“Mother…”
Aria walked toward him.
The Shadow King raised his hand.
“Stop.”
She kept walking.
“Aria!”
She ignored him.
The black energy surrounding Orion became stronger.
The boy screamed.
“Mother!”
Aria reached him.
She placed her hand against his face.
“It’s okay.”
“No.”
“Look at me.”
“I’ll hurt you.”
“You won’t.”
“I don’t know how to stop.”
“Then I’ll help you.”
The Shadow King roared.
“Enough!”
A wave of darkness exploded from Orion.
Aria was thrown backward.
She hit the stone floor.
“Aria!”
Kael rushed toward her.
Damon grabbed his shoulder.
“Wait.”
Kael turned angrily.
“What?”
“Look.”
Orion was standing in the center of the temple.
The black energy around him was changing.
It wasn’t spreading anymore.
It was shrinking.
The boy was fighting it.
His hands trembled.
His teeth clenched.
“No…”
The Shadow King stared.
“Impossible.”
Orion slowly raised his head.
His eyes were silver again.
“You can’t control me.”
The Shadow King stepped backward. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“What did you say?”
Orion looked directly at him.
“You trained me.”
He took a step forward.
“You tortured me.”
Another step.
“You made me believe my mother abandoned me.”
The darkness around him began breaking apart.
“But you made one mistake.”
The Shadow King’s face darkened.
“What?”
Orion smiled.
“My mother came back.”
Silver light exploded from his body.
The black mark on his neck shattered.
The Shadow King screamed.
“No!”
The temple shook.
Aria stared in disbelief.
Orion had broken the Shadow King’s control.
By himself.
The boy dropped to his knees.
Aria rushed to him.
She pulled him into her arms.
“You’re safe.”
Orion buried his face against her shoulder.
“I was scared.”
“I know.”
“I thought you would kill me.”
“Never.”
“You promise?”
Aria held him tighter.
“I promise.”
Kael approached.
Orion looked at him.
“Father.”
Kael stopped.
He seemed overwhelmed.
Then he knelt.
“I’m sorry.”
Orion frowned.
“For what?”
“For not finding you sooner.”
Orion shook his head.
“You couldn’t.”
“I should have.”
“You were fighting him.”
Kael looked at Aria.
“I should have been fighting for both of you.”
Aria placed a hand on his shoulder.
“You are here now.”
Damon watched them quietly.
A strange sadness crossed his face.
But he smiled.
“Looks like the family reunion is complete.”
Aria looked at him.
“Thank you.”
Damon nodded.
“For what?”
“For protecting Lyra.”
His expression softened.
“I promised her I would.”
Lyra ran toward him.
“You saved me.”
Damon smiled.
“And you saved me first.”
She hugged him.
Damon froze.
Then slowly wrapped his arms around her.
Aria watched the scene.
For the first time since her memories had returned, she felt something she hadn’t felt in years.
Peace.
But it lasted only seconds.
A deep rumble echoed beneath the temple.
Malakai’s expression changed.
“Everyone move.”
Aria stood.
“What is it?”
“The temple is collapsing.”
Stone began falling from the ceiling.
Kael grabbed Lyra.
Damon grabbed Orion.
Aria raised her hand.
Silver energy formed a shield over them.
“We need to get out.”
They ran toward the entrance.
But the doors were gone.
A wall of black stone had appeared where the doorway had been.
Damon slammed his fist against it.
“It’s sealed.”
Malakai looked around.
“There has to be another exit.”
Aria looked at the walls.
Symbols began appearing.
The crescent crown.
The wolf.
The Shadow Realm.
And two children.
Lyra and Orion.
Aria stepped closer.
“These symbols weren’t here before.”
Malakai examined them.
“They’re ancient.”
“What do they mean?”
His expression changed.
“They’re a prophecy.”
Aria frowned.
“Another one?”
Malakai nodded.
He traced his fingers across the stone.
“The Queen will bear two children.”
Aria looked at Lyra and Orion.
“That’s them.”
Malakai continued.
“One shall carry the light.”
He pointed toward Lyra.
“The other shall carry the darkness.”
His finger moved toward Orion.
Aria’s stomach tightened.
“And together…”
Malakai stopped.
“What?”
He looked at Aria.
“They will determine which realm survives.”
Silence.
Lyra looked frightened.
“Mother?”
Aria immediately knelt.
“Don’t worry.”
“Does that mean Orion is bad?”
“No.”
Aria looked at her son.
“And it doesn’t mean you are good.”
The twins stared at each other.
Aria held both their hands.
“You are my children.”
She looked at the prophecy.
“That’s all that matters.”
A voice echoed from somewhere beneath the temple.
“Wrong.”
Everyone froze.
The voice was familiar.
Aria’s heart dropped.
“Who is that?”
The ground cracked.
A hand emerged from beneath the stone.
Then another. This story is hosted at g.com.
Someone pulled himself out of the darkness.
Kael raised his sword.
Damon shifted.
Malakai stepped backward.
Aria stared.
It was a man.
Tall.
Pale.
His clothes were covered in blood.
His silver eyes were glowing.
Aria knew that face.
She had seen it in her memories.
The man standing before them was the person she had once loved before the Shadow King.
The person she had believed was dead.
Malakai whispered:
“Impossible.”
Aria’s heart stopped.
“Azrael.”
The Shadow King.
But this wasn’t the version they had been fighting.
This man looked younger.
More human.
More vulnerable.
He looked at Aria.
And smiled.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Aria stepped backward.
“You’re not him.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
“Then who are you?”
He looked toward the Shadow King’s symbol on the wall.
“I am the part of him he buried.”
Aria frowned.
“What does that mean?”
He looked at Lyra and Orion.
“Ask your children.”
Aria turned toward them.
Lyra was trembling.
Orion’s face had gone completely pale.
“Mother…”
“What is it?”
Orion stared at the man.
“I know him.”
Aria’s heart raced.
“How?”
Orion whispered:
“He was the one who raised me.”
Kael immediately stepped forward.
“You said the Shadow King raised you.”
Orion shook his head.
“No.”
He looked terrified.
“The Shadow King was never my master.”
The man smiled.
“He was.”
Orion’s voice trembled.
“He was my father.”
Aria’s eyes widened.
Kael’s grip tightened around his sword.
Damon looked at Malakai.
Malakai’s face had gone pale.
“That’s impossible.”
The man laughed.
“Is it?”
He looked at Aria.
“Your son was never meant to destroy you.”
Aria swallowed.
“Then what was he meant to do?”
The man’s smile disappeared.
“He was created to replace you.”
Aria’s blood ran cold.
“What?”
“Three thousand years ago, the Queen ruled both realms.”
He pointed at Aria.
“Then she died.”
His eyes moved toward Orion.
“The Shadow King needed a successor.”
Orion stepped backward.
“No.”
The man continued.
“So he created one.”
Aria pulled Orion behind her.
“Don’t come near my son.”
The man didn’t move.
“He wasn’t created from darkness.”
Aria frowned.
“Then from what?”
The man looked at Lyra.
“From her.”
Aria stared.
“Lyra?”
The little girl stepped backward.
The man smiled.
“Your daughter carries the original Queen’s soul.”
Aria’s eyes widened.
“That’s impossible.”
“No.”
He looked at the twins.
“She carries the light.”
Then he looked at Orion.
“And he carries the darkness.”
Aria shook her head.
“They are twins.”
“Exactly.”
The temple trembled again.
The man turned toward the collapsing walls.
“We don’t have much time.”
“For what?”
“The final gate is opening.”
Aria looked toward the ceiling.
Black cracks appeared across the sky above the temple.
A massive eye opened within the darkness.
The Shadow King’s voice echoed through the mountains.
“Bring me my children.”
Aria’s crown appeared above her head.
She stepped in front of both twins.
“You’ll never have them.”
The man looked at her.
“Then you better decide quickly.”
“Decide what?”
“Which child you are willing to lose.”
Aria’s heart stopped.
He pointed toward the black sky.
“Because the gate requires a sacrifice.”
The temple began collapsing.
Stone crashed around them.
Kael grabbed Aria’s hand.
“We need to move.”
Aria didn’t move.
She looked at Lyra.
Then Orion.
Then the opening gate above them.
Her eyes filled with determination.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
Aria raised the Crown of Eternity.
“I’ve lost my children once.”
Silver light exploded from the crown.
“I’m not losing them again.”
The entire First Temple erupted in silver flames.
And somewhere beyond the gate…
the Shadow King screamed.
Because for the first time in thousands of years— the Queen had broken another prophecy.