Mag-log inJulianna POVUnity, Forgiveness, RenewalThe sun had risen fully by the time Scott and Tepes resumed melting the last of the frost. The courtyard steamed as purple flames and elemental fire burned through the ice with careful precision. Everywhere they walked, life was brought back from cold stillness.I followed with Fianna, Lily, Lila, Niamh, Aria, Wanda, Lyra everyone who was able to help carry or support someone newly thawed. Some collapsed into our arms, trembling; others woke slowly, confused, blinking like newborns.A man cried as his daughter thawed in his arms.A druid elder sobbed when his vines reawakened, curling weakly around his wrist.An elf boy shouted his mother’s name in relief.But then their joy froze not from magic, but from shock as their gazes drifted past us.Where the Sacred Tree once stood…Only splinters remained.A hollow circle of shattered roots.The people’s gasps turned into soft, helpless sobbing.“It’s gone…” someone whispered.“Our ancestors… our mag
Julianna POVAfter the fall of Vaelen and ElariaTepes Thane stood in the ruins of the battlefield like a storm that had simply stopped mid-rage. His purple flames faded into smoke. The sky above us cleared, the blizzard pulling back like a frightened animal. Snow evaporated, frost withdrew, and for a moment… everything was still.Too still.I swallowed hard. Just moments ago, Vaelen and Elaria two of the most powerful beings in this kingdom had been erased like dust before the wind. I had known Tepes was strong, yes, but witnessing it… watching those forbidden flames devour even the Frostheart’s ice…It made my hands shake.Lily whispered beside me, her voice trembling even though she tried to sound impressed. “That… that was Father not even in full strength.”A chill slid down my spine.Scott didn’t look impressed. He looked angry, hurt, even as he stared at his father. Their relationship was complicated.The snow settled around us like ash.Fianna struggled to her feet, still brea
Julianna POVTepes Thane ArrivesJust as all hope was fading… he appeared.A tremor rippled through the frozen courtyard, a pressure so heavy it made the air itself warp. The frost on the ground cracked. Mana shifted. Shadows bent toward him.Tepes Thane stepped out of the mist — silent, composed, eyes glowing like two red eclipses.Scott froze beside me, breath caught in his throat.“…Father?” his voice cracked. “What—why is he here?”“I called him.” Lily said quietly. “That was Plan B.”Scott’s jaw dropped. “You WHAT—?”But Tepes was already walking forward, each step echoing like a verdict.Vaelen sneered. “And who might you be?”Tepes didn’t even look at him. “The Vampire Lord, Tepes Thane.”“Never heard of you,” Vaelen said. “And you have no business h
Scott POVI ran.Not because I was afraid—but because Fianna’s voice was still ringing in my skull.“Scott… I’m ordering you. Stop him. Save my kingdom.”Her blood… her trembling smile… the way she forced the words out even while dying—That was more than enough fuel for the rage burning in my chest.When I reached the Sacred Tree, the frozen ground cracked under every step I took. The entire kingdom shimmered under a shell of ice, branches crystallized like blue glass.Vaelen stood before the frozen trunk, cloak billowing in the cold wind. His eyes met mine, amused.“You again.” He sighed. “Persistent child.”“You are going to pay for everything you’ve done,” I said.Flames exploded from my hands as I charged.We collided.A massive shockwave erupted—fire clashing against green mana, sparks rippi
Julianna POVI saw something.Was it the past or the future?Not the room around me.A flash — bright, sharp, painful.A knife.Blood.Fianna.I gasped. “Fianna…! Something’s wrong.”Lily turned sharply. “What happened? Did you see something?”“It’s Fianna. I think she’s hurt. Badly. We need to move — now.”No more questions. No hesitation. We ran.Aria struggled to keep up. “Hey guys so what do we do when we get there? We can’t just rush Vaelen without a plan!”“I agree!” Lila said breathlessly. “Lily, anything useful in that big brain of yours?”Lily didn’t even slow her pace. “Don’t panic. Plan B is already in place.”Wanda blinked. “You had a Plan B?”“There is always a Plan B.”We turned a corner in the frozen hallway the cold biting through Lila’s warming sigil like it wasn’t even there. Niamh sprinted ahead, claws forming at her fingertips.Suddenly she stopped so fast we almost ran into her.“Niamh?” I said. “What happened? Where’s Scott and Lyra?”Niamh’s voice was strained,
Julianna POVThe crushing pressure vanished the moment Vaelen and Fianna stepped through the doorway. I collapsed to my knees, gasping, every bone trembling from the invisible weight that had pinned us down.Lily coughed hard, bracing herself on the wall. “Everyone… still breathing?”“Barely,” Wanda muttered, rubbing her ribs.“My head is spinning,” Aria groaned.Lila pushed herself up, her hands shaking. “He used our own trick against us. He didn’t even try to kill us just wanted to make us feel helpless.”Wanda hissed. “And it worked.”Lily steadied herself. “We don’t have time for this. He’s heading for the Tree. If he reaches it… it will all be over.”I forced myself to stand. My legs wobbled, but the fear in my chest burned hotter than the pain. “Then let’s get moving.”“And Fianna,” Lila added softly. “We have to save her too.”I swallowed hard. “Fianna trusted him. She still hoped something good is still in him.”Lily grabbed my shoulder. “Hope is fragile. Fianna hasn’t recover







