INICIAR SESIÓNCalista's POV
The creature born from the altar fixed its burning eyes on me and smiled.
But I was not looking at it. I was looking at Morwen. At the satisfaction on her face. At the way she stood there was like she had already won. Like those three dead children meant nothing. Were nothing more than fuel for her ambition.
Something inside me snapped. Not broke. Transformed. All the fear. All the pain. All the years o
Lyra's POVCalista was disappearing right in front of us and nobody seemed to notice but me.I watched her at breakfast. She pushed food around her plate. Smiled when Zevran spoke to her. Nodded at appropriate moments. But her eyes were empty. Distant. Like she was somewhere else entirely. Somewhere dark and unreachable.Zevran touched her hand. Asked if she slept well. She lied. Said yes. Said she felt much better. He believed her because he wanted to. Because believing the alternative meant admitting something was seriously wrong.But I saw the truth. The shadows under her eyes. The tremor in her fingers. The way she flinched at sudden sounds. She was falling apart and trying desperately to hide it.I waited until Zevran left for council meetings. Until servants cleared the breakfast dishes. Until we were alone in the solar. Morning light streamed th
Aldrid's POVI waited until we made camp to read the rest of the letter and the words destroyed me.Kaelen built a fire while I sat against a tree. The folded paper felt like lead in my pocket. I had read the first line back at Vargath's gates.The urgent plea for help. The claim that something terrible was coming. But exhaustion and shock delayed me from reading further.Now in the quiet of the evening with only crackling flames and distant night sounds I pulled it out again. My hands shook. I told myself it was from the cold. From the long ride. But I knew better. I was afraid. Afraid of what else she might have written.The first paragraph repeated what I had already read. The warning. The request to come to Noctis. But then the tone shifted. The handwriting changed slightly. Like she paused. Reconsidered. Then continued with a different inten
Aldrid's POVThe gates of Vargath opened and I knew I had made a terrible mistake coming home.Silence greeted me. Not the usual bustle of the capital. Not the sounds of commerce and conversation that filled these streets since my childhood. Just silence. Heavy. Oppressive. Wrong.People lined the streets but they did not cheer. Did not welcome their returning prince. They stared. Some with anger. Some with fear. Most with disgust. Like I was something foul that crawled from beneath a rock.I kept my head high. Refused to show weakness. I fought for them. Bled for them. Helped destroy the Council that controlled their lives for generations. And this was how they greeted me.Kaelen rode beside me. His jaw is tight. His hand was never far from his sword. "This does not feel right.""No. It does not." I scanned faces in the crowd. Looking for allie
Zevran's POVCalista had not slept in three days and it was tearing me apart.I watched her across the breakfast table. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. Her hands trembled slightly as she lifted her cup. She smiled when she caught me looking but it did not reach her eyes. Did not erase the exhaustion etched into every line of her face."You need to rest." I kept my voice gentle. Non-accusatory. "Your body is still recovering from everything.""I am fine." She set down the cup. "Just adjusting. There is so much to learn about Noctis. About being here permanently. I do not want to waste time sleeping when I could be useful."Lies. Beautiful lies wrapped in logic. But lies nonetheless. She was avoiding sleep because of the visions. Because of whatever she saw when she closed her eyes. She thought I had not noticed. Thought she hid it well. But I knew her. Knew every shift in her mood. Every shadow that crossed her face."Come with me today." I changed tactics. "Let me show you something.
Seraphine's POVPain was the only thing keeping me alive and I welcomed it.Stone pressed against my chest. Crushing. Suffocating. Blood pooled in my mouth. Metallic. Thick. I could not move my legs. Could not feel my left arm. Everything below my waist was numb or screaming. I could not tell which was worse.The fortress had collapsed on top of me. Buried me alive. Left me to die in the darkness like vermin. Like nothing. After everything I sacrificed. Everything I gave to the Council. This was how it ended.But I refused to die. Refused to let them win. Refused to let her win.Calista. That pathetic, weak little wolf who somehow destroyed everything. Who turned Zevran against us? Who rallied the kingdoms? Who brought down centuries of carefully built power in a matter of weeks?I hated her. Hated her with every broken breath. Every shattered bone. Every moment of agony. She took everything from me. My position. My respect. My future. And she did it without even understanding what sh
Calista's POVSomething felt wrong and I could not explain why.The celebration filled every corner of Noctis. Music drifted through open windows. Laughter echoed off stone walls. People danced in the streets. Hugged strangers. Cried tears of joy. The Council was defeated. The kingdoms were free. We had won.But my stomach twisted. My skin prickled. Like someone was watching. Like danger still breathed somewhere close.I stood on the palace balcony beside Zevran. He looked radiant. Strong. Every inch the king his people needed. His hand rested on the small of my back. Grounding me. Reminding me I was safe. That we were home.Below us, the crowd gathered. Thousands of faces turned upward. Waiting. Hoping. They needed reassurance. Needed their king to tell them the nightmare was over.Zevran stepped forward. His voice carried across the square. Deep. Steady. Confident."Today we celebrate more than victory. We celebrate freedom. For too long the Council of Wolves controlled our world. D







