Chapter 22: The Scourge Rises

The moment the tremor subsided, the Dominion Tower plunged into an eerie silence.

Ivy stood frozen, hand on her stomach, heart racing as the echo of the child’s voice faded from her mind.

“The Scourge is near. He wears your face.”

Killian’s face.

Gone.

Vanished.

Without a trace.

Aiden reached for her. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head. “No. The baby—he... he spoke to me. Warned me.”

Aiden's eyes widened. “Spoke?”

She nodded slowly. “Killian’s not just twisted. He’s dangerous now. He’s become something else.”

A gust of wind tore through the tower’s broken glass panes, scattering ancient scrolls across the floor like desperate birds in flight.

Mira burst into the room, weapons drawn. “Killian’s escaped. The eastern seal was broken—by magic we haven’t seen since the Second Binding.”

Aiden stiffened. “Ezerel.”

“Then we’re already too late,” Ivy murmured.

Elsewhere – Shadowed Citadel

Killian stood before the shattered mirror of Ezerel’s cathedral, his reflection rippling like a living storm.

Gone were his warm eyes, the subtle vulnerability that once tethered him to the light. In their place was a merciless fire, cold and precise.

He wasn’t just reforged.

He was reborn.

“The Scourge,” Ezerel said behind him. “The world will soon bow to you. But first… the heir must fall.”

Killian didn’t blink. “I won’t harm Ivy.”

“You won’t have to,” Ezerel rasped. “But the child… the child must bend to me. You will deliver them. As promised.”

Killian’s jaw clenched. “And if I refuse?”

Ezerel's form shifted—becoming taller, wider—swelling with shadow. “Then you’ll be nothing. Again.”

A pause.

Then Killian bowed his head.

“Prepare the gate.”

Dominion Archives – Hidden Chamber

Ivy stared down at the glowing map etched across the marble table. Ancient symbols shimmered across the surface—sigils only a true Flamebearer could decipher.

“This,” Mira said, “is the Map of Echoing Hearts. It shows the emotional energy of every bonded soul across the known world.”

“And this one,” Aiden pointed, “is Killian.”

A pulsing red mark in the northwest. Moving.

Fast.

“Where is he going?” Ivy asked.

Mira frowned. “North. Toward the Hollow Range.”

Lilith entered, her voice grim. “That’s where the Gate of Whispers lies. A forgotten portal. It hasn’t been opened in centuries.”

“Why would he go there?” Aiden asked.

“Because that gate doesn’t just lead to the spirit realm,” Lilith said, looking directly at Ivy. “It leads to the Chamber of Choices. The place where the heir’s soul can be split.”

Ivy’s hand flew to her stomach again. The child kicked sharply.

Warning.

Pleading.

“They’re afraid,” she whispered.

Aiden gripped her hand. “Then we go now.”

Three Days Later – The Hollow Range

The winds howled as Ivy, Aiden, Mira, and Lilith reached the base of the mountains. Snow fell sideways, defying gravity. The storm wasn’t natural—it was laced with magic.

Cursed.

Aiden lit a torch, its golden flame resisting the black winds.

“Keep moving,” he said.

Inside the cavern, they found the Gate.

And Killian.

He stood in front of it, palms pressed against its stone surface, reciting an incantation in an ancient tongue.

“Ivy,” he said without turning, “you should’ve stayed behind.”

Her heart twisted at the sound of his voice—familiar and foreign all at once.

“You’re not the man I loved,” she said.

“No,” he agreed. “I’m more.”

“You’re a weapon.”

“I’m a father.”

“You’re a lie.”

Killian turned slowly, and for a moment, something flickered in his eyes. Pain. Regret. Then it vanished.

“I didn’t come here to fight you,” he said. “I came to finish what I started.”

Aiden drew his blade. “Step away from the gate.”

But the ground trembled again.

And the gate—ancient, dormant—began to crack open.

Ivy screamed as the pain shot through her abdomen. Her knees buckled.

The baby was fighting.

Fighting him.

Killian flinched. “It’s not supposed to hurt. I just wanted—”

“What? Power?” Aiden growled. “You wanted the prophecy to fit you.”

“I wanted purpose!” Killian roared. “I was nothing! Always second. Always shadowed. This was my only chance to matter.”

“But you matter to no one now,” Lilith said, voice cold.

Behind her, Mira was already moving—circling wide.

Ivy fought to stand, her fingers glowing with flame. “You still have a choice. Don’t open the gate.”

“I can’t stop it,” Killian said. “The key isn’t mine anymore.”

“What?” Mira said. “Then who—”

A laugh echoed from behind the gate.

It cracked wider.

And Isla stepped through.

Alive.

Unburned.

Empowered.

“Hello, Ivy,” she purred. “Miss me?”