The cold morning air was sharp as knives when Evelyn and Lucien left the village.
Every step toward the capital made Evelyn's heart beat faster. Not just from fear—but from something heavier. Purpose. Fate.
The snow-covered path wound through Blackpine Forest—ancient, twisted trees closing in from all sides. The silence was wrong. Too quiet. No birds. No wind. Just the sound of hooves crunching the frost.
Lucien's voice broke the quiet. "We're being followed."
Evelyn nodded. "I know."
She reached for the hilt of her dagger.
Lucien slowed his horse. "Left side. Four of them."
"Right side," Evelyn whispered. "Two more."
Suddenly—
A howl shattered the silence.
Then another.
And another.
From the trees, shadows leapt.
Hunters. Vampires. Wolves. All twisted by Seraphine's blood magic.
"GO!" Lucien shouted, drawing his blade.
Evelyn spun her horse around, facing the first wave.
The creatures snarled—wolf-like beasts with glowing red eyes, mouths foaming with venom.
One lunged.
Evelyn ducked, slashing its throat clean open. Black blood sprayed the snow.
Lucien fought with brutal precision. Every movement silent, deadly. But they were surrounded.
"This is a trap," Evelyn growled, back to back with him.
"She knew we'd come this way," he replied.
Another wave charged—this one faster. Smarter.
Lucien was knocked back. A beast pinned him, jaws snapping—
Evelyn threw her dagger, hitting it between the eyes.
Lucien rose, breathing hard. "Thanks."
"Don't die," she said. "You still owe me a real kiss."
Even in battle, he smirked. "Noted."
Suddenly, a horn blew in the distance.
The wolves stopped.
Growling. Watching.
Then—they retreated.
Evelyn blinked. "What the hell—?"
A figure stepped out from the woods.
Tall. Black cloak. Hood drawn.
Not one of the beasts. Not a vampire.
A human.
The stranger pulled back the hood, revealing long silver hair, sharp violet eyes, and a scar that ran across her jaw.
Lucien froze.
"…No," he whispered. "It can't be."
Evelyn turned. "Who is she?"
The woman's voice was low, steady. "My name is Kaelith. I was once Elara's blood-bonded guardian."
Evelyn stepped forward, heart thudding. "What do you mean was?"
Kaelith's eyes met hers. "Because I failed her. And she let me live with the guilt."
Lucien narrowed his eyes. "You served Seraphine."
Kaelith nodded. "Once. But I chose Elara. When Seraphine turned her into a weapon, I tried to stop it. She nearly killed me for the betrayal."
She pulled down her collar—revealing the faded burn marks on her neck.
Magic scars.
Evelyn's voice softened. "Why are you here?"
Kaelith looked straight at her. "Because I want to help you stop her. And because Elara is more broken than you realize."
They set up camp that night in a hidden cave Kaelith knew well.
Evelyn sat close to the fire, watching the woman from across the flames.
"Tell me everything," Evelyn said. "About Elara. About you."
Kaelith nodded. "Elara was different. Even before Seraphine. She always felt... wrong. Like something inside her was asleep."
Lucien listened quietly.
"One day," Kaelith continued, "Seraphine took her into the woods. For hours. When they returned, Elara's eyes had changed. They were colder. Brighter."
She looked up. "She said she had met something. Something ancient. It whispered to her. Touched her soul. And after that, she wasn't the same."
Evelyn shivered. "What did it say?"
Kaelith hesitated. "That she was the key. That her sister would betray her. That one of you would kill the other."
Evelyn's face paled.
Lucien reached for her hand beneath the blankets. She squeezed it.
"Do you think she still remembers me?" Evelyn asked.
Kaelith gave a sad smile. "She never forgot. That's what hurts her the most."
Evelyn wiped a tear. "I have to reach her."
Kaelith's voice turned grave. "You'll get one chance. And if you fail…"
She looked away.
"…there will be no second."
That night, Evelyn sat outside the cave, watching the stars.
Lucien joined her, wrapping his coat around her shoulders.
She leaned into him without a word.
"I'm scared," she whispered.
He nodded. "Me too."
"But I can't let fear decide for me."
Lucien took her hand, pressing it to his chest. "Then let this decide."
She looked at him, surprised.
He smiled softly. "Your heart. Mine. They're both still beating—for now."
She leaned in.
Their lips met again.
Not out of passion. But need.
A promise in the dark.
Far away, in the Crimson Citadel, Elara stood before the mirror again.
This time, she wasn't alone.
A voice behind her said, "They survived."
Elara closed her eyes.
"I know."
Seraphine hissed, "Then kill them. Or I will."
But Elara turned away from the glass, eyes filled not with anger—
—but sorrow.