The First Temple was collapsing.
Massive stones crashed from the ceiling as silver flames spread across the ancient walls.
Aria stood in the center of the chaos, the Crown of Eternity floating above her head.
Lyra and Orion stood behind her.
Kael was at her side.
Damon and Malakai were preparing to fight.
And above them, the enormous black eye continued to open.
The Shadow King’s voice thundered through the temple.
“YOU CANNOT STOP ME!”
Aria looked up.
Her silver eyes burned brighter.
“I don’t need to stop you.”
The Shadow King’s laughter echoed.
“Then what will you do?”
Aria raised her hand.
“I’ll change the rules.”
The Crown of Eternity released a wave of silver energy.
The black eye in the sky flickered.
For the first time, the Shadow King’s voice became uncertain.
“What have you done?”
Aria smiled.
“I broke your prophecy.”
The man who had emerged from beneath the temple watched her carefully.
Azrael.
Or at least the part of Azrael that the Shadow King had buried.
He stepped forward.
“You still don’t understand.”
Aria turned toward him.
“Then explain.”
“The prophecy wasn’t created to control you.”
“Then why?”
“To protect you.”
Aria frowned.
“From what?”
He looked toward Lyra and Orion.
“From yourself.”
Aria’s expression hardened.
“I’ve heard enough people tell me what I’m supposed to be.”
“You haven’t heard this.”
He pointed toward the Crown.
“The Queen who ruled three thousand years ago wasn’t defeated by the Shadow King.”
Aria froze.
“What?”
“She defeated herself.”
Silence.
Kael stepped forward.
“Explain.”
Azrael looked at him.
“When the Queen realized her power could destroy both realms, she divided her soul.”
Aria’s heart began pounding.
“Divided?”
“Yes.”
He pointed toward Lyra.
“One part became light.”
Then toward Orion.
“The other became darkness.”
Aria stared at her children.
“You’re saying…”
“They aren’t merely your children.”
Azrael’s voice became quieter.
“They are the two halves of the ancient Queen.”
Aria’s breath caught.
Lyra looked at Orion.
Orion looked back.
Neither understood.
Kael shook his head.
“No.”
Azrael smiled.
“You can deny it, Lycan King, but the truth doesn’t change.”
Aria stepped between him and the children.
“Then why did I give birth to them?”
“Because reincarnation changed the rules.”
“What rules?”
“The ancient Queen couldn’t return as one soul.”
Azrael looked directly at Aria.
“So she returned as three.”
Aria stared.
“Three?”
“Your human soul.”
He pointed at her.
“The light.”
He pointed at Lyra.
“And the darkness.”
His finger moved toward Orion.
Aria’s heart pounded.
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I am not some ancient Queen divided into pieces.”
Azrael’s expression softened.
“That’s what makes you different.”
“What?”
“You are Aria.”
He looked toward the crown.
“Not the Queen.”
Aria was silent.
For the first time, the words felt right.
She wasn’t simply the reincarnation of someone else.
She wasn’t a replacement.
She wasn’t a vessel.
She was herself.
Aria.
She looked at Lyra.
Then Orion.
“My children are themselves too.”
Azrael nodded.
“Exactly.”
The ground shook.
A crack opened beneath them.
Damon grabbed Lyra.
Kael grabbed Orion.
“Everyone move!”
They ran toward the temple entrance.
But the entrance collapsed.
Aria raised both hands.
Silver energy pushed the falling stones aside.
“Go!”
Kael pulled Orion through.
Damon followed with Lyra.
Malakai hesitated.
“Aria!”
“Go!”
She pushed harder.
The temple groaned.
Azrael remained behind.
Aria looked at him.
“Are you coming?”
He smiled sadly.
“No.”
“Why?”
“I have something to finish.”
“What?”
He looked toward the black sky.
“The Shadow King.”
Aria’s eyes narrowed.
“You can’t defeat him alone.”
“I’m not trying to defeat him.”
“Then what?”
Azrael looked at her.
“I’m trying to make him remember who he was.”
Before Aria could respond, darkness swallowed him.
“Azrael!”
The temple doors exploded.
Aria was thrown outside.
She landed hard.
Kael rushed toward her.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
“I’m fine.”
He helped her stand. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Behind them, the First Temple collapsed completely.
The mountain trembled.
Then silence.
Aria stared at the ruins.
“Azrael.”
Malakai shook his head.
“He knew what he was doing.”
“Do you think he’s alive?”
“I don’t know.”
Aria looked toward the sky.
The black eye was still there.
But it was smaller.
The Crown of Eternity had weakened it.
Damon approached.
“Whatever you did worked.”
Aria looked at him.
“For now.”
Lyra tugged at her dress.
“Mother.”
Aria knelt.
“What is it?”
“Orion is hurt.”
Aria turned immediately.
Her son was sitting against a tree.
Black veins still covered his arms.
She rushed to him.
“Orion.”
“I’m okay.”
“No.”
She touched his forehead.
He was burning.
“You’re not.”
Kael crouched beside him.
“What happened?”
Orion looked at Aria.
“The Shadow King is still inside me.”
Aria’s blood ran cold.
“How?”
“I broke his control.”
“But…”
“He’s still connected to me.”
Kael frowned.
“Can he control you again?”
Orion hesitated.
“Maybe.”
Aria held his face.
“Then we’ll break the connection.”
Orion smiled weakly.
“How?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Kael looked at Aria.
“We’ll find a way.”
Damon looked toward the mountain.
“We need to get back to the kingdom.”
Malakai shook his head.
“That’s exactly where he wants us to go.”
“Why?”
“The kingdom is exposed.”
Aria stood.
“Then where do we go?”
Malakai looked at Lyra.
“The Sanctuary.”
Aria frowned.
“What sanctuary?”
“The place where the original Queen hid before the first war.”
Kael looked surprised.
“I thought it was destroyed.”
“It was never destroyed.”
“Then where is it?”
Malakai pointed toward the forest.
“Beyond the Moonless River.”
Aria looked toward the dark trees.
“How far?”
“Three days.”
“We don’t have three days.”
Malakai nodded.
“Then we better move.”
They traveled through the night.
No one spoke much.
Aria walked beside Kael.
Lyra slept against his shoulder.
Orion walked beside Damon.
Every few minutes, he looked toward the sky.
Aria noticed.
“What are you looking at?”
Orion shook his head.
“Nothing.”
“Orion.”
He stopped.
“I can hear him.”
Aria’s heart tightened.
“The Shadow King?”
He nodded.
“What is he saying?”
“He keeps calling my name.”
“Can you block him?”
“I’m trying.”
Aria took his hand.
“Don’t fight him alone.”
Orion looked at her.
“Then stay with me.”
“I will.”
He smiled.
“I knew you would.”
Suddenly Kael stopped.
Everyone froze.
“What is it?” Damon whispered.
Kael sniffed the air.
“Wolves.”
Malakai reached for his sword.
“How many?”
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
“Too many.”
A howl echoed through the forest.
Then another.
Then hundreds.
Figures emerged between the trees.
Werewolves.
But their eyes were completely black.
The Shadow King had corrupted them.
Kael stepped forward.
“Stay behind me.”
Aria raised her hand.
“No.”
Kael looked at her.
“I can handle this.”
“I know.”
She stepped beside him.
“But you don’t have to do it alone.”
The wolves charged.
Kael transformed.
Damon followed.
Malakai attacked from the opposite side.
Aria raised the Crown.
Silver light exploded through the forest.
The corrupted wolves stopped.
Their bodies trembled.
Aria could feel the darkness inside them.
It was connected to the Shadow King.
She closed her eyes.
Release them.
The crown glowed.
One wolf fell.
Then another.
Then another.
They returned to normal.
Kael stared.
“You purified them.”
Aria opened her eyes.
“I didn’t know I could.”
Malakai smiled.
“Neither did the Queen.”
Aria looked at him.
“Stop calling me that.”
He nodded.
“Aria.”
She smiled.
“Better.”
A wolf approached.
He bowed before her.
“My Queen.”
Aria sighed.
“Don’t.”
The wolf looked confused.
“You freed us.”
“I didn’t do it for worship.”
“Then why?”
“Because you didn’t choose to become monsters.”
The wolf lowered his head.
“Then we will follow you.”
Aria shook her head.
“No.”
He looked surprised.
“You have families.”
“Yes.”
“Go back to them.”
The wolf nodded.
“Thank you.”
One by one, the wolves disappeared into the forest.
Kael watched Aria.
“You really are different.”
“Different from who?”
“The Queen.”
Aria smiled.
“Good.”
They reached the Moonless River just before sunrise.
The water was completely black.
No reflection appeared on its surface.
Malakai stopped.
“The Sanctuary is beyond this.”
Damon looked at the river.
“How do we cross?”
“There’s a bridge.”
“Where?”
Malakai pointed.
A stone bridge slowly appeared from beneath the water.
Aria stepped onto it.
The moment her foot touched the first stone, the river began glowing silver.
Lyra gasped.
“Mother.”
“What?”
“Look.”
A reflection appeared in the water.
It wasn’t Aria.
It was the original Queen.
She stood in the river, wearing the Crown of Eternity.
Then another reflection appeared.
The Shadow King.
The Queen looked at him.
“You failed.”
The Shadow King smiled.
“You think so?”
The reflection changed.
Aria saw the Queen holding two babies.
Lyra.
Orion.
Then she saw herself.
Standing beside them.
But there was another person.
A man.
Aria couldn’t see his face.
The Queen handed him the babies.
“Protect them.”
The man nodded.
“I swear.”
The reflection faded.
Aria stared.
“Who was that?”
Malakai didn’t answer.
“Malakai.”
He looked away.
“You already know.”
“No, I don’t.”
He sighed.
“It was your father.”
Aria’s eyes widened.
“Lucian?”
“Yes.”
“But why would he protect them?”
“Because he wasn’t the one who betrayed you.”
Aria stared at him.
“What?”
Malakai looked toward the river.
“There’s something about your first life you still haven’t remembered.”
“What?”
“The man who killed you wasn’t Lucian.”
Aria’s heart stopped.
“Then who was it?”
Malakai looked at Kael.
Kael’s face went pale.
“No.”
Aria turned toward him.
“Kael?”
He shook his head.
“I don’t remember.”
Malakai’s voice was barely a whisper.
“It was someone you trusted.”
The river suddenly turned black.
A voice rose from beneath the water.
“She trusted me.”
Everyone froze.
A hand emerged.
Then another.
A figure climbed onto the bridge.
Aria stepped backward.
She recognized the voice.
Her blood turned cold.
The figure raised his head.
It was Damon.
But Damon was already standing behind her.
Aria turned slowly.
There were two of them.
Two identical Damons.
One stood beside Aria.
The other smiled from across the bridge.
And the second Damon whispered:
“Did you really think I was the real one?”
The Crown of Eternity flashed.
Aria’s eyes widened.
The false Damon smiled.
“Hello, Aria.”
Then he transformed.
Not into a wolf.
Not into a man.
But into something ancient.
Something that had been waiting for her for three thousand years.
And Aria finally understood why the Shadow King had always been one step ahead.
The enemy had never been outside her circle.
He had been beside her all along.