Chapter 43: The Crown of Betrayal

The fortress fell silent.

Lyra stared at the woman standing behind the Shadow King.

Selena.

But she was no longer the frightened woman Lyra remembered.

A silver-black crown rested upon her head.

Her eyes were cold.

And around her neck hung a strange pendant bearing the symbol of the Blood King.

Lyra could barely speak.

“Selena…”

Selena smiled.

“You finally understand.”

Karl stepped in front of Lyra.

“What have you done?”

Selena looked at him.

“What I should have done long ago.”

She slowly walked forward.

“The Moon Throne needed an heir.”

She touched the crown.

“And I needed to make sure that heir never reached it.”

Lyra’s expression hardened.

“You worked with the Shadow King.”

Selena glanced at Adrian.

“Not exactly.”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

“You betrayed me too.”

Selena laughed softly.

“Everyone thought you were controlling me.”

She looked toward the darkness behind her.

“But you were never the one giving orders.”

A chill moved through the chamber.

Lyra remembered the Blood King’s warning.

The traitor is already among us.

She looked at Selena.

“Then who are you working for?”

Selena’s smile disappeared.

“The one who created the Blood King.”

Everyone froze.

King Alaric stepped forward.

“Enough.”

Selena turned toward him.

“You should have stayed imprisoned.”

Alaric’s expression remained calm.

“You’ve been hiding behind others for twenty-one years.”

Selena’s eyes narrowed.

“You don’t understand.”

“I understand perfectly.”

Alaric looked at Lyra.

“She was there the night Lunaris fell.”

Lyra stared at Selena.

“You were there?”

Selena nodded.

“I was young.”

Her voice softened.

“I saw your mother.”

“I saw your father.”

“And I saw what happened when the Blood King was awakened.”

Lyra’s heart tightened.

“What happened?”

Selena looked at Alaric.

“Your father made a choice.”

Alaric’s face became grim.

“I protected my daughter.”

“And condemned the kingdom.”

Alaric shook his head.

“No.”

Selena stepped closer.

“You chose Lyra over Lunaris.”

Lyra stared at her father.

“Is that true?”

Alaric didn’t answer immediately.

Then he said:

“Yes.”

Lyra’s heart sank.

“I would choose you again.”

A sudden sound echoed through the fortress.

Boom.

The walls shook.

Adrian looked toward the entrance.

“The Blood King.”

Selena smiled.

“No.”

She looked upward.

“Something worse.”

A crack appeared across the ceiling.

Black mist poured through it.

The soldiers raised their weapons.

Karl pulled Lyra closer to the center of the group.

“Stay with me.”

Lyra nodded.

The mist gathered above them.

Then a figure appeared within it.

A woman.

Tall.

Wearing an ancient silver crown.

Her eyes glowed like moonlight.

Alaric stepped backward.

“No…”

Lyra looked at him.

“Who is she?”

Alaric whispered:

“The first Moon Queen.”

Master Thorne’s face went pale.

“Queen Isolde.”

The apparition looked directly at Lyra.

“You carry my blood.”

Lyra raised her Moon Bow.

“Why are you here?”

The ancient queen smiled.

“Because you have awakened what should have remained asleep.”

Her gaze shifted toward Selena.

“And she has opened the final gate.”

Selena bowed her head.

“My Queen.”

Lyra’s eyes widened.

“Selena serves her?”

Isolde smiled.

“Selena serves whoever promises her power.”

Selena’s face tightened.

“You said you would make me Queen.”

Isolde laughed.

“You misunderstood.”

The silver crown on Selena’s head suddenly cracked.

“You were never meant to rule.”

Selena’s eyes widened.

“Then what am I?”

Isolde looked at Lyra.

“A key.”

The crown shattered.

Selena screamed as a wave of dark energy surrounded her.

Karl immediately moved Lyra backward.

Adrian raised his hand.

“Stop!”

Isolde ignored him.

The energy rushed toward the ancient symbol on the floor.

A hidden door opened beneath everyone’s feet.

Alaric’s face changed.

“The Heart Chamber.”

Lyra stared into the opening.

“What is inside?”

Her father looked at her.

“The final relic.”

“The real Heart of the Moon.”

Then a voice echoed from below.

“And the one who controls it controls every kingdom.”

Lyra looked into the darkness.

She knew what she had to do.

She stepped toward the opening.

Karl caught her hand.

“You’re not going down there alone.”

Lyra looked at him.

“I’m not planning to.”

Behind them, Lucien raised his sword.

Arnold stepped forward.

Adrian and Caelan exchanged a determined glance.

And Alaric looked at his daughter.

“For twenty-one years, I waited for this moment.”

He took her hand.

“Let’s finish what our family started.”

Together, they descended into the darkness.

But none of them noticed Selena’s broken crown glowing faintly on the floor.

And from within it came a whisper:

“The real betrayal has only begun.”