The moon hung low over the island, casting a silvery light across the jagged rocks and crashing waves below. Within the grand halls of the fortress that sat atop the island cliffs, a strange calm had settled. The air was thick with ancient magic—older than kingdoms, older than war, older even than the stars themselves.In the heart of the stronghold, within chambers carved from obsidian and coral, Maeron stood at the threshold of Solmyra’s sanctum, his eyes fixed on her. She stood by the ornate mirror, brushing her now-glossy dark hair, which flowed like black silk down her back. Her skin gleamed with an unnatural radiance, flushed with a youth she hadn’t possessed in centuries. Gone were the deep lines that once furrowed her brow, the ashen pallor of time and decay. Before him stood not the withered shadow of the woman he once knew, but the siren who had first ensnared him with a single glance.“Look at you,” Maeron murmured, his voice rumbling like the tide beneath the cliffs. He st
The waves crashed gently against the rocky shoreline as the moon hung low in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the camp settled quietly on the edge of the mysterious island. The sea air carried with it not only the tang of salt, but also the weight of many unsaid things. Fires crackled softly throughout the camp where soldiers and travelers alike rested, but not all found comfort in sleep.Valerian stepped away from the gathered circle of warriors and witches, his eyes scanning the horizon. He was a man of secrets and survival, but even he knew when to step aside. With a nod toward the older man sitting near the fire, he said quietly, “Talk to him. He’s your family now, whether either of you wanted it or not.”With that, he walked off, leaving Serena’s father and Alexandro in the hush of flickering light and long-overdue conversation.For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The silence between them wasn’t one of hostility, but of hesitation. They were two men bound by a single wo
The fire crackled softly in the center of the camp, casting flickering shadows across the tired yet determined faces of those gathered around it. The salt-scented wind from the nearby sea carried with it a quiet sense of anticipation, as if the very elements knew something momentous was drawing near. Alexandro stood before the group, his eyes focused, his presence commanding, though the fatigue of the past weeks was evident in the tension in his shoulders.“I saw her,” he began, and every head lifted at once. “Last night, through the bond we share—Serena reached out to me.”A stunned silence fell across the group before murmurs stirred the air like ripples on still water. Valerian raised a brow, Nivera leaned in, and Kiara’s hands curled into fists of hope. Serena’s brothers, Jacob and Edward, exchanged glances that held both relief and regret.Alexandro's voice was calm, but the fire in his eyes burned with conviction. “She’s alive. She’s fighting, but she’s trapped. Solmyra is tryin
Serena slowly opened her eyes, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on every bone in her body. The eerie silence of the chamber felt heavier than usual, thick with unspoken tension. Her lips were dry, her limbs weak, but her mind was clear — unusually clear. She sat up, bracing herself against the stone wall as the memory of her conversation in the dark realm came rushing back.And then she saw her — Solmyra, standing just a few steps away, dressed in a flowing robe that shimmered like smoke and starlight. Her silver-white hair was no longer dull and dry. It had darkened slightly, glistening like newly spun silk, and her face, once creased and lined by time, looked strikingly youthful. Her eyes glowed with an unnatural vibrancy, like someone who had just drunk from the fountain of youth.Serena’s heart clenched with realization. “You’re after my youth,” she said, her voice hoarse but steady.Solmyra's lips curled into a knowing smile. “You’re intelligent,” she said with something al
The path through the rugged cliffside was damp with salt wind, the smell of the sea thickening in the air as Edward and Jacob pressed forward. The shore was still a day's march ahead, but they refused to slow their pace. Every mile closer felt like a stitch sewn into their unraveling hearts—each one pulling tighter with the fear of not finding their sister in time.It had been weeks since Serena’s abduction. The image of her quiet goodbye still haunted Jacob—her half-smile, the silk hem of her dress fluttering as she stepped into the carriage. He should’ve gone with her. Should’ve insisted. Edward, stoic as always, had barely spoken on the march, his frustration simmering beneath each command he barked to the men trailing behind them. But now, neither of them could speak as they crested a hill and saw a small campfire flickering in the distance.There were two figures near it—one cloaked in gray, the other tall, broad-shouldered, and unmistakably familiar.Their father.Both brothers
The darkness lingered like a second skin. Serena stood motionless in that void, suspended between thoughts and memories, between who she was and who she might become. Her body slept far away, shackled by silver and spellwork, but her soul drifted freely within this strange, ethereal plane. It wasn’t the first time she’d found herself here—but this time was different. She was no longer screaming or flailing. She was thinking.Solmyra.The name echoed like a curse in her mind. That woman—if she could be called that—held power beyond reckoning. Serena had seen it. Felt it. The way the very walls bowed to her will, the way she bent Maeron with a glance, and how even the air around her shimmered like it feared her wrath. She had strength, age, cunning. Her magic was old, deeply rooted in some forgotten source, maybe even older than the Moon Goddess herself.So what could she possibly want from Serena?At first, Serena had thought it was her wolf. The ancient bloodline, the gift of the Moon