Aurora’s POVThe throne room shook with every strike. Damion and Caleb crashed together, claws slashing, teeth snapping. Dust and debris flew with each hit.“Aurora,” Lola hissed, “The ring—grab it. That’s where his power is.”I moved forward, circling Caleb. “Over here!” I shouted. He turned, eyes blazing.Damion lunged, claws aimed, but Caleb was faster. I ducked under a strike, rolled to the side, and kicked a pillar to keep him off balance.Caleb’s swing caught my shoulder. Pain shot through me, but I kept moving, aiming for the ring. Lola hit his arm, forcing him to flinch. I lunged, claws scraping against metal.He countered, knocking me back. I rolled, kicked debris into his face, and kept circling. Each blow from him was brutal, precise, and fast. I blocked, parried, and dodged, refusing to stop.Caleb lunged again, aiming for my chest. I twisted, striking his wrist. Sparks flew as our powers collided. He growled, swinging hard, and I ducked, feeling the air slice past my head
Aurora’s POV I sprinted down the corridor, Lola at my side. “Faster! We need to get to the throne room!” “I’m trying!” Lola snapped, claws scraping the floor. The massive doors of the throne room loomed ahead. I threw them open—and froze for a heartbeat. Damion stood in front of Caleb’s throne, chest heaving, eyes like fire. “Step down and face me, Caleb!” Caleb leaned back, arms crossed, smirking. “You think you can take her? She’s mine.” I stepped forward, voice sharp. “I am not an object! I will not be taken!” Damion’s growl rumbled low. “Aurora, get back!” I ignored him, keeping my gaze on Caleb. “You think you can decide my fate? I fight for my freedom and my people! I will not be treated like a prize!” Caleb’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Instead, he gestured with a tilt of his head. “So be it. A duel. Winner takes her.” I clenched my fists, refusing to step back. “I don’t care about your duel! I will not be claimed! Not by you, not by him!” Damion’s eyes softe
Aurora’s POVI was slumped against the cold stone wall of my chamber, my body aching, my skin still raw from Caleb’s touch. Every nerve screamed in protest, but it wasn’t Caleb who stood in front of me now—it was Lola.Her eyes glinted in the dim torchlight, sharp and cold. She circled me like a predator, her claws lightly scraping the floor.“You think you’re clever, sitting there like that,” she hissed. “I could end you in a heartbeat.”I lifted my chin, refusing to cower. “I’m not afraid of you,” I said evenly. “And you should remember something, Lola—you’re just a tool. You’ve been used for power you barely understand.”Her eyes flickered, uncertainty flashing behind her anger. She growled low in her throat. “I… I’m not—”“You are,” I interrupted. “Every move you make, every step you take, is because Caleb wants you to. Without him, what are you, really? A girl who’s strong on paper, but powerless in truth.”The words hit her harder than I expected. Her jaw tightened. She let out
Aurora’s POVMy eyes snapped open, my body jerking upright.The ceiling above me was dark and carved with strange, twisting symbols that seemed to move when I blinked. My chest heaved, the memory of fire and screams still burning in my head.I clutched the sheets, cold sweat soaking my skin. It wasn’t just a dream. I remembered everything now—my parents’ final moments, Caleb’s father walking through the flames like a shadow of death, the way Lira’s magic had pulled me from the jaws of that inferno.My hands trembled as I pushed the covers aside and slid off the bed.“They died because of him,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Because of Caleb’s family.”Anger surged through me, so sharp it almost drowned out my fear.The chamber was empty. The guards who normally stood by my door were gone, and the silence felt wrong, dangerous. Caleb wasn’t here. That was my chance.I didn’t think—I moved.I darted to the window first, scanning the grounds below. Soldiers patrolled the walls, but the
Aurora’s POVMy hands traced on the painting, it's old paint barely scrapping off. "What's your story mom?" I whispered silently."What do you want to tell me?!" A bit more loud this time.I had a feeling that the visions meant something, maybe just maybe... I'd get some answers about who I am.I attended to summon the moon goddess, gathering the little magic I could feel inside me."Agatha, moon goddess, help me know who I am."But there was a cold silence, the magic sizzling through my veins.Black liquid imprinted on my veins, it sent a shiver down my spine.I didn’t go back to the throne. I didn’t sit in that cursed room or bow to Caleb. My bare feet carried me silently along the castle walls, every stone cold beneath them. The Velmoria wind cut through me, sharp and unrelenting, but I barely noticed.The whispers came first. Faint at first, then louder, curling around my mind like smoke. Voices I didn’t recognize, yet somehow knew. Stories. Names. Betrayals. Blood.I froze as t
Aurora’s POVThe throne room was massive and cold, the air thick with the stench of blood and smoke. Black stone walls stretched high above, lit by fire torches that flickered with an eerie, red glow.I sat stiffly on the throne Caleb forced me into, my hands gripping the dark armrests so tightly my knuckles turned white. The jagged crown on my head dug into my scalp, sharp enough to make me wince.Caleb paced in front of me, giving orders to his creatures and soldiers, but I barely listened. My gaze moved over the towering pillars, the strange markings glowing faintly on their surface. There was something strange about this place—like the castle itself was breathing.“This isn’t my home,” I muttered under my breath, glaring at the creatures that bowed to Caleb. “But it feels… familiar.”My skin tingled as if something was watching me. I shook it off, forcing myself to stay calm.My thoughts slipped for a moment, and Damion’s face filled my mind—the way he held me when he marked me,