Dawn brought no warmth.
A heavy fog clung to the valley as Aria stood atop the cliffs overlooking the River of Sorrows. Below, the waters churned like something alive, ancient, and watchful. It was here that Kael's scouts said the old shrine was buried—one linked to the Moonborn's bloodline.
She had to know the truth.
Kael joined her, his expression unreadable. "We should wait. There's something wrong with Seraphine. You said it yourself."
"I know," Aria whispered. "But I also know the answers lie below."
Behind them, Seraphine stood silently, her presence as cold as the air. Darius and Nyla flanked her, weapons drawn—not openly hostile, but not trusting, either. Tension laced every breath.
They descended into the mist, following a hidden path lined with ancient carvings—wolves howling at shattered moons, a goddess cradling twins of flame and frost, and the sigil of the first Luna: two crescents entwined.
The shrine was a ruin, but its heart still pulsed with magic.
At the center stood a moonstone pedestal, glowing faintly. Aria stepped forward. The moment her hand touched the stone, a rush of memories hit her.
Visions of her father and mother… their union, their flight from the High Council… her birth beside another infant—Seraphine.
But the truth twisted.
Seraphine's aura shifted in the vision—black tendrils wrapped around her. A woman with red eyes smiled from the shadows.
Mircella.
She had not just raised Seraphine… she had corrupted her.
Aria stumbled back, gasping.
"She bound you to her," Aria said, eyes wide. "She put part of her soul inside you."
Seraphine's eyes flickered. "It was the only way I could survive."
"No," Kael growled. "It's how she controls you."
The air thickened. Seraphine's form shimmered. Her voice changed.
"I am what you fear," she whispered. "I am both sister and curse."
Suddenly, the earth trembled. The shrine groaned. Magic flared.
From the stone emerged a figure—neither spirit nor flesh. A guardian of the shrine. The Sentinel of the Moon.
"You come seeking truth," it boomed. "Then offer blood, both light and shadow."
Before anyone could react, Seraphine sliced her palm and pressed it to the altar. Aria, trembling, did the same.
Light burst from the stone.
The Sentinel's voice echoed: "One of you is the key. One of you is the door. If you walk together, the world will bleed."
Kael pulled Aria back just as the vision ended. The shrine dimmed.
Seraphine collapsed, her body shaking.
When she woke, her eyes were different—haunted.
"What did you see?" Aria asked.
Seraphine only whispered, "I saw myself killing you."
---
Back at camp, mistrust had grown into paranoia.
Raekon confronted Aria privately. "We can't keep her here. She's dangerous."
"I know," Aria said. "But she's also my sister. And I think... she wants to change."
Raekon shook his head. "That's the same hope that doomed kingdoms."
---
Later, Aria slipped into Kael's tent. Her hands trembled.
"She's part of me," Aria whispered. "But I'm afraid she'll destroy me."
Kael held her close. "Then let me protect you."
They fell into each other again, a desperate dance of heat and need. His hands worshipped her. Her lips found the places he kept hidden. They made love like it was the last night on earth—intense, tender, consuming.
When dawn came, Aria lay awake, staring at the tent ceiling.
One choice stood before her now.
Embrace Seraphine…
Or destroy her.
To be continued...