The door unlocked.
Click.
Amara stared at it.
Neither she nor Damien moved.
The hallway of St.
Catherine’s Hospital was completely empty.
The lights above them flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then went dark.
“Damien…”
“I know.”
He pulled out his gun.
Amara held the silver key tightly.
“What if we leave?”
Damien looked at her.
“You want to?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“Then we go together.”
He reached for her hand.
Their fingers intertwined.
And together, they stepped through the door.
The room beyond was nothing like a hospital room.
It was old.
Ancient.
Stone walls covered in faded symbols.
Candles burned along the edges despite the fact that nobody had been there for years.
Amara’s heart raced.
“My mother was here?”
Damien looked around.
“This room is older than the hospital.”
Amara walked forward.
At the center of the room was a wooden table.
On it sat a small box.
Her name was carved into the lid.
AMARA.
She stopped breathing.
“That’s mine.”
Damien stood beside her.
“Open it.”
Amara hesitated.
Then she lifted the lid.
Inside was a photograph.
A necklace.
And a letter.
Her hands trembled as she unfolded the paper.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
Her mother’s.
My darling Amara,
If you are reading this, then I failed to keep you away from the truth.
Amara’s eyes filled with tears.
Damien quietly moved closer.
She continued reading.
There are things about your birth that everyone will lie about.
Your grandmother will tell you that you are the last queen.
The Blood Court will tell you that Damien is the last king.
Amara looked up.
Damien’s expression changed.
She continued.
But neither of them knows the whole truth.
Silence.
Amara’s heart pounded.
She read the next line.
Damien was never meant to be your enemy.
Her eyes moved down the page.
He was chosen to protect you.
Damien stared at the letter.
“What?”
Amara continued.
Twenty-four years ago, when I came to St.
Catherine’s, I wasn’t alone.
Two children were born that night.
Amara stopped.
Two children.
Her eyes widened.
“Damien…”
He looked at her.
“What?”
She handed him the letter.
He read it.
His expression slowly changed.
“Two children?”
Amara nodded.
“Who was the second?”
Neither of them spoke.
Then Damien noticed something underneath the letter.
A small hospital bracelet.
He picked it up.
The name written on it was faded.
But one word remained visible.
DAMIAN.
Damien stared at it.
“That isn’t possible.”
Amara looked at him.
“Why?”
He shook his head.
“Because I was born somewhere else.”
“According to Richard.”
Damien’s eyes narrowed.
“Richard lied about almost everything.”
Suddenly—
A noise came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
Amara froze.
Someone was coming.
Damien quickly blew out the candles.
The room fell into darkness.
He pulled Amara against the wall.
The footsteps grew closer.
One.
Two.
Three.
The door opened.
A shadow entered.
Damien raised his gun.
The figure stepped forward.
“Damien?”
He lowered the weapon.
“Adrian?”
Amara rushed forward.
“Dad!”
Adrian grabbed her.
“Are you both alright?”
Amara nodded.
“How did you find us?”
Adrian looked at the room.
His expression became serious.
“I knew your mother had hidden something here.”
Amara held up the letter.
“Did you know about this?”
Adrian’s eyes fell on the paper.
He went completely still.
“What did you find?”
“Two children were born that night.”
Adrian’s face changed.
Amara stepped closer.
“Who was the second child?”
He didn’t answer.
“Dad.”
Still nothing.
“Adrian!”
He finally whispered,
“You.”
Amara frowned.
“What?”
“You were the first.”
She stared at him.
“Then who was the second?”
Adrian looked at Damien.
And his silence was answer enough.
Damien’s face went pale.
“No.”
Adrian nodded.
“Yes.”
Amara’s heart began pounding.
“Damien was born that night too?”
Adrian swallowed.
“Yes.”
Damien stepped backward.
“Then why don’t I remember?”
“Because you weren’t supposed to.”
A voice came from behind them.
Everyone turned.
Seraphina stood in the doorway.
Again.
Damien’s expression hardened.
“You.”
Seraphina walked inside.
“I told you.”
She looked at Amara.
“Your mother protected both of you.”
Amara stared at her.
“Both of us?”
Seraphina nodded.
“Your mother knew what the Blood Court would do if they discovered the truth.”
“What truth?”
Seraphina’s eyes moved between Amara and Damien.
“You weren’t born as enemies.”
She paused.
“You weren’t even born as king and queen.”
Damien frowned.
“Then what were we?”
Seraphina looked at him.
“Children.”
A strange silence filled the room.
Then Seraphina continued.
“Children your mother wanted to keep away from the Court.”
Amara looked at Adrian.
“Why?”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“Because the prophecy wasn’t about you ruling the Blood Court.”
He looked at Damien.
“It was about what would happen if the two of you were ever brought together.”
Amara felt cold.
“What happens?”
Adrian whispered,
“They awaken something.”
Suddenly, the necklace around Amara’s neck began glowing.
Damien’s eyes widened.
The silver mark on his hand appeared.
A pulse of energy moved through the room.
The walls began shaking.
Then—
BOOM!
A crack appeared across the stone floor.
Amara grabbed Damien.
“What is happening?”
Seraphina stepped backward.
“Oh God.”
Adrian stared at the floor.
“No…”
The crack widened.
Something underneath the hospital began moving.
A deep rumbling sound rose from below.
Then a voice echoed through the room.
Ancient.
Deep.
Almost human.
“The children have returned.”
Amara’s blood ran cold.
Damien looked at her.
“Amara…”
The floor collapsed.
All four of them fell into darkness.
And as Amara screamed—
A pair of golden eyes opened beneath them.
Someone had been waiting for them.
For twenty-four years.