Chapter 52: The Brother Beneath the Throne

Lyra couldn’t move.

The stranger stood at the bottom of the staircase, watching her with eyes that looked painfully familiar.

Alaric stared at him.

“No…”

Caelan stepped forward.

“That’s impossible.”

The young man smiled faintly.

“You said the same thing twenty-one years ago.”

Lyra looked at her father.

“Who is he?”

Alaric didn’t answer.

“Father?”

His voice finally broke.

“His name is Elias.”

Lyra’s heart raced.

“Elias?”

Alaric nodded.

“Your younger brother.”

The words echoed through the chamber.

Lyra stared at Elias.

“You were born before me?”

“No,” Elias said quietly. “After you.”

She frowned.

“But I’m twenty-one.”

“So am I.”

Karl looked confused.

“How can two people be born after each other and be the same age?”

Elias looked toward the Heart Chamber.

“Because we weren’t born in the same year.”

Everyone went silent.

Lyra’s mother had said he was her brother.

But something about his words felt wrong.

Elias continued.

“I was born twenty-one years before you.”

Lyra’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“The Blood Crown doesn’t only imprison power.”

He touched the symbol on his chest.

“It controls time.”

Master Thorne stepped forward.

“That’s why the records never showed him.”

Elias nodded.

“I was hidden beneath Lunaris when the kingdom fell.”

Lyra slowly descended one step.

“Why?”

Elias looked at Alaric.

“Because Father believed the Blood King would come for me.”

Alaric closed his eyes.

“He was right.”

A low rumble shook the chamber.

Elias looked toward the darkness behind him.

“He has already found me.”

Suddenly, the ancient walls began glowing red.

Karl moved beside Lyra.

“Something’s coming.”

Lucien raised his weapon.

“Everyone stay together.”

A deep voice echoed through the underground kingdom.

“THE TWO MOON CHILDREN HAVE FINALLY FOUND EACH OTHER.”

Lyra felt the Heart inside her pulse.

Elias’s black crown began glowing.

He dropped to one knee.

Lyra rushed toward him.

“Elias!”

“Don’t touch me!”

She stopped.

His eyes had changed.

For a moment, they were completely black.

Then they returned to normal.

Elias looked frightened.

“He’s trying to use me.”

“Who?”

“The Blood King.”

The ground split open.

A massive shadow rose from beneath the staircase.

It didn’t have a clear face.

Only two burning eyes.

Alaric stepped forward.

“Leave my children alone.”

The shadow laughed.

“YOUR CHILDREN?”

The darkness spread across the walls.

“YOU STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND, ALARIC.”

Lyra looked at her father.

“What doesn’t he understand?”

The shadow answered for him.

“YOU WERE NEVER BORN TO BE TWO.”

Lyra’s heart stopped.

“What?”

The shadow turned toward her.

“YOU WERE ONE SOUL.”

Elias looked at Lyra.

“And they split us.”

Lyra stared at him.

“Why?”

Elias’s voice became quiet.

“To create two vessels.”

“One for the Moon…”

He touched his chest.

“And one for the Blood.”

Lyra stepped backward.

“No.”

Elias looked at her.

“You carry the Moon Heart.”

He pointed toward himself.

“I carry the Blood Crown.”

The pieces suddenly fit together.

The Heart.

The Blood Crown.

The visions.

The prophecy.

Her mother’s warnings.

They hadn’t been searching for two separate heirs.

They had been searching for two halves of the same ancient power.

The Blood King laughed.

“BRING THEM TO ME.”

Elias stood.

His eyes darkened again.

Lyra immediately reached for him.

“Elias, fight it.”

“I am trying!”

The darkness began surrounding him.

Karl grabbed Lyra’s arm.

“Lyra, don’t!”

She pulled away.

“He’s my brother.”

“He may not be himself.”

Lyra looked at Elias.

For a moment, she saw the frightened child beneath the darkness.

She stepped toward him.

“Elias.”

His eyes flickered.

“Lyra…”

“You don’t have to fight alone.”

The darkness recoiled.

The Heart inside Lyra shone brighter.

Elias reached toward her.

Their hands touched.

A powerful wave of silver and black light exploded through the chamber.

Everyone was thrown backward.

Then silence.

Lyra opened her eyes.

She and Elias were standing beneath a massive symbol carved into the ceiling.

A new prophecy appeared.

WHEN MOON AND BLOOD STAND AS ONE,

THE ANCIENT KING SHALL FALL.

Lyra stared at the words.

Then another line appeared.

BUT ONE SIBLING MUST CHOOSE WHAT THE OTHER CANNOT.

Elias looked at her.

“What does that mean?”

Before Lyra could answer, the chamber doors slammed shut.

A voice whispered from behind them.

“Your mother knew exactly what it meant.”

Lyra turned.

Selena stood at the entrance.

But this time, she wasn’t alone.

Beside her stood a woman wearing a silver crown.

Lyra recognized her immediately.

The woman from the portrait.

Her mother.

Evelina.

Except this time

she wasn’t a spirit.

She was alive.