Nobody spoke.
Damien stared at the man standing beside Isabella.
The stranger looked completely calm.
Too calm.
Like he’d been waiting years for this moment.
Damien’s voice finally broke the silence.
“You’re lying.”
The man smiled.
“I expected you to say that.”
“Who are you?”
“You already know.”
“I’ve never seen you before.”
“No.”
The man’s eyes softened.
“But you’ve seen my face.”
Damien frowned.
Then he looked at me.
I understood.
The photograph.
The old portraits.
The mysterious man standing beside the First Queen.
The resemblance suddenly made sense.
“You’re him,” I whispered.
The stranger looked at me.
“Yes.”
“The man in the mural.”
“Yes.”
Damien stepped forward.
“You’re saying you’re my father?”
“I am.”
Damien laughed bitterly.
“Then where were you?”
The man’s expression changed.
“Watching.”
“Watching what?”
“You grow.”
“You watched me suffer?”
“Yes.”
“You watched me believe Richard was my father?”
“Yes.”
“You watched me hunt for a man who never existed?”
The man’s eyes lowered.
“Yes.”
Damien’s fists clenched.
“Why?”
“Because if you knew who you were, the Blood Court would have found you.”
“And now?”
“Now they already have.”
Damien looked around the vault.
“So you hid me for twenty-four years.”
“I protected you.”
Damien’s jaw tightened.
“Everyone says that.”
His eyes moved toward me.
“And everyone who said it lied.”
I felt the words hit me.
“Damien…”
He looked at me.
“I don’t know who I am anymore.”
I stepped closer.
“You’re still Damien.”
He stared at me.
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
“You heard him.”
He pointed toward the man.
“He says I’m the last king.”
“You’re still the man I know.”
“And if I’m not?”
I took his hand.
“Then we’ll find out together.”
His fingers tightened around mine.
The stranger watched us silently.
Then he said:
“That is exactly why the prophecy chose you.”
I looked at him.
“What prophecy?”
“The one written before either of you was born.”
He walked toward the throne.
“The First Queen ruled beside the First King.”
He pointed toward the mural.
“They were powerful.”
“How powerful?”
“Powerful enough to command every ancient bloodline.”
“And then?”
“They were betrayed.”
“By whom?”
“Their own children.”
I frowned.
“What happened?”
“The kingdom was divided.”
“The Blood Court became hidden.”
“And the royal bloodline was scattered.”
He looked at Damien.
“Until you were born.”
Damien shook his head.
“Why me?”
“Because you inherited the King’s blood.”
His eyes moved to me.
“And she inherited the Queen’s.”
I looked down at our joined hands.
The silver marks on our wrists were glowing.
“What happens if we stay together?”
The man smiled.
“The throne awakens.”
“And if we separate?”
“War.”
My stomach tightened.
“That’s convenient.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t believe me.”
“I don’t trust anyone anymore.”
“Good.”
He smiled.
“Trust is the first weakness of a ruler.”
I looked at Damien.
He gave a small smile.
“She’s definitely not becoming a ruler.”
I elbowed him.
He laughed.
For the first time since entering the vault, the tension eased.
Then—
A loud boom shook the chamber.
Everyone turned.
The vault doors began to crack.
Isabella’s face changed.
“Evelyn.”
The stranger nodded.
“She found us.”
Adrian raised his weapon.
“How?”
The stranger looked at me.
“The crown.”
My blood ran cold.
“You said it awakened.”
“Yes.”
“And now she can find us?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you let me touch it?”
“Because there was no other way.”
The vault doors exploded.
Evelyn stepped through the smoke.
She was bleeding.
But she was smiling.
“You really thought you could hide from me?”
Her eyes landed on Damien.
Then widened.
“You found him.”
The last king stepped forward.
“Stay away from my son.”
Evelyn laughed.
“Your son?”
She looked at Damien.
“You should ask him what his father did to your mother.”
Damien froze.
“What?”
Evelyn’s eyes moved to me.
“He didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“The truth about Jonathan.”
My heart began pounding.
“What about my father?”
Evelyn smiled.
“Jonathan wasn’t Amara’s biological father.”
Silence.
I stared at her.
“No.”
“Your mother had two children.”
My blood turned cold.
“Two?”
Evelyn looked at Damien.
“One daughter.”
Then at me.
“And one son.”
I couldn’t breathe.
“No.”
Damien stared at her.
“What are you saying?”
Evelyn smiled.
“Damien isn’t just your lover, Amara.”
She stepped closer.
“He is your brother.”
The world stopped.
I stared at Damien.
He stared back.
Neither of us could speak.
Then Isabella screamed:
“EVELYN, STOP!”
But it was too late.
The crown fell from my hand.
And the entire vault went dark.