MasukLUCIAN It's like the moonstone necklace v everything faded.I frowned something was wrong. How was I back here?I sat up and looked out the window, I could see an outline of someone at the edge of the barrier? Was it the old man and his priest in training?Still, what just happened. I got the moonstone necklace, I freed us, Cassandra came. I helped Reine find peace.So why was I back here, and why did it feel like I'd been in someone else's tale, like an alternate universe.I looked away from the window, Elias was sleeping, his chest rising and falling steadily.How long have I been out?Was he also experiencing the same thing? Or has he just watched me sleep and didn't even try to wake me up?I stood up, walking around steadily, looking at the environment. It was dusty.Elias was a clean freak, he wouldn’t just watch this place go dirty and dusty like this, so that meant he's also caught in that trance or whatever the hell that was or he was just really tired.I'd bet on th
BEAU "I cams here to ask for your help, not ask you to dissect my whole life. That was supposed to be a secret that you just blurted out." Edyrm I pressed my lips together. He seemed really pissed."Sorry," I muttered, "I just thought....""Forget it," he snapped and paced around."I'm really confused here," Vulwin muttered, "Explain yourself, Edyrm, or I swear by the throne, the king will hear all these from me.""Fine." Edyrm muttered, throwing a glare at me, "What do you want to know?""Everything!" Vulwin exclaimed, "And how you managed to fool everyone including Rowan and the king himself and the masked man, if they found out, none of them would think twice before killing you. "Are you sure you really want to know, and do you promise not to attempt to stop me in any way? This goes against all your principles." Edyrm announced. My ears perked up instantly, and I was interested. "Going to classes to learn more about my powers seems the least of my problem.""I created an i
BEAUMONT The kettle began to whistle just as I entered the kitchen, I'd almost forgotten about it thanks to the two new visitors invading my space. "Are you serious not going to talk to me at least?" Edyrm questioned, going all puppy eye with me. My head was everywhere all at once, I reached directly for the kettle and flinched when it burned my fingers. Edyrm’s guest came over and easily carried it off the stove while giving me a pitiful look. I glared at him in response, freaking dark elfs. "While I appreciate you coming to my aid and helping me after the Lycan King, God bless his heart indirectly freed me from the dungeon, he and his mate. I don't appreciate you coming here and invading my face. I'm out here all alone for a reason." "This will the the last time, I promise." Edyrm answered. "Can we just get whatever we are here for over with and be done?" Edyrm’s guest mumbled under his breath. "Excuse you?" I frowned at him. "You know what? Just leave. Both of you." I
ROWAN The gates of the Kingdom of Kuragari towered like jagged teeth over Rowan's frame. The guards opened the gates for him and allowed him inside but not without throwing furtive glasses at themselves. The Dark King was going to be furious. The obsidian towers carved into the cliffs reflected no light, swallowing the dusk whole. Nothing had changed, and yet everything had. Whispers traveled faster than wind in a kingdom built on shadows and discipline. Rowan could see their expressions even before he heard them. Even guards stiffened at his approach, servants lowered their heads too quickly, and other Elf subjects avoided his eyes. News of the failed temple siege, of the moonstone lost, and of his disappearance to the desert was what everyone could talk about. Rowan walked through them without a word, still fuming with anger The throne doors were already open, and there were guards surrounding him. He was being summoned. That was pretty much obvious..... Either way, h
The palace was quiet that night, the usual hum of activity replaced by a heavy stillness that clung to the corridors like fog. In the grand hall, the statue of Reine stood in the soft glow of torchlight, marble features serene yet impossibly lifelike. Every detail—the curve of her face, the softness of her expression, the subtle tilt of her head—seemed to breathe with a quiet vitality. Elias stood before her, silent, eyes fixed on the delicate lines of the statue, hands clasped loosely in front of him.The moonstone necklace had been returned to Lucian, and with it, the fragment of Reine’s soul had been secured once more. Yet, even in the safety of the palace, Elias could not find rest. His heart weighed heavy with guilt, with longing, and with an unshakable need to see her truly free, not just safe, not just protected by wards and magic, but liberated in spirit.He knelt slowly before the statue, his boots echoing softly on the stone floor. The torchlight flickered, casting shifting
Lucian stepped out of the temple chamber with measured, deliberate footsteps, the moonstone necklace secured in his hands. The elders had watched him the entire time, their expressions neutral yet heavy with centuries of unspoken judgment. They had made their deal, and Lucian had upheld his part—he had stabilized his core, aligned his energies, and performed the ritual necessary to reclaim what had been placed in the temple for safekeeping.The ritual itself had been arduous. Hours had passed in the dimly lit chamber, the air thick with the scent of incense and the faint hum of ancient wards. Lucian had seated himself before the altar, arms extended, palms open, eyes closed, and had begun channeling the energies within him. The temple’s own power had responded almost immediately, reacting to his intent, intertwining with the flow of his life force.At first, the energy had been chaotic, a storm of wild impulses and raw power. His core had resisted alignment, his wolf growling in agita






