The Ritual

Chapter Four

~Daniella's POV

“Enough!”

His voice filled every corner of the hall, his power rippling through the air. Serena froze mid-motion, her eyes wide.

He stepped forward and yanked her hand away from me. “You forget who gives the orders here,” he snarled.

Serena tried to speak, but he didn’t let her. 

“Take her to the dungeon,” he ordered finally, but his voice wasn’t steady anymore. It sounded strained, torn between anger and something he couldn’t admit.

The guards hesitated, looking confused.

Serena’s eyes widened. “Kieran, what—?”

“Now!” he barked.

The dungeon was colder than I expected, quiet and wet, the walls breathing with the smell of iron and damp soil. The guards shoved me inside and the heavy door slammed behind me, the echo trailing off like laughter. I sat on the cold floor, wrapping my arms around myself, but the chill wasn’t what made me tremble.

It was the bond.

Every time I thought of him, I could feel it tugging, hot and painful under my skin, like an invisible chain wrapped around my soul. I hated it. I hated that even after everything, my body reacted to him, my heart still thundering when I remembered the way his voice shook when he shouted for Serena to stop.

“Damn you, Kieran,” I whispered under my breath, staring at the flickering torchlight. “You’re not supposed to care.”

The door creaked open again. I turned quickly, expecting the guards, but it was only Nora, the timid maid who had warned me earlier. She carried a small bowl of water and some bread.

“They said you’ll be punished again tomorrow,” she said quietly. “The Alpha hasn’t spoken to anyone since you left the hall.”

“Good,” I muttered, taking the bowl. “Maybe he finally ran out of words to hurt people with.”

Nora hesitated by the door. “Miss Lyra… you don’t sound like yourself anymore.”

I looked up at her, and said nothing, my fingers tightening around the bowl.

Her eyes widened in fear thinking she has offended me,, but before she could ask anything else, heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor. Nora panicked and slipped out, shutting the door just as the sound stopped right in front of my cell.

The lock turned slowly.

Kieran stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable, his aura heavy enough to choke the air around us. The torchlight caught the silver streaks in his dark hair and the golden glow in his eyes.

He didn’t move at first, just stared at me.

“What are you?” he asked finally, his voice low, tense, uncertain.

I smiled faintly. “An Omega, apparently. Isn’t that what you told everyone?”

He ignored the sarcasm and walked closer, his boots echoing softly against the stone floor. “You look like Lyra, but you don’t sound like her. You don’t speak like her. You don’t even move like her.”

“Maybe I got tired of being the version of her you could trample on.”

He stopped in front of me, his gaze searching mine. The bond pulsed again, sharp and insistent, filling the space between us with heat that neither of us wanted to acknowledge.

“You defy me without fear,” he said quietly. “Lyra couldn’t even look me in the eye.”

“Then maybe you never really saw her,” I said, lifting my chin.

He stared for a long moment before turning away abruptly. “This isn’t right,” he muttered to himself. “Something’s wrong with you.”

I laughed softly. “Finally, something we agree on.”

He looked back at me, his expression dark. “I’ll have answers, one way or another.”

He called out to the guards outside, his tone hard again. “Send for the royal seer. Now.”

My stomach tightened. “A seer?”

Kieran’s eyes met mine. “You want to play games with me, Omega? Then you’ll do it in front of the Moon’s eyes.”

The door slammed shut again, and I was left alone in the dim silence, my heart thudding against my ribs.

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It didn’t take long. Maybe an hour, maybe two. I had lost track of time when the sound of footsteps filled the dungeon again, softer this time, followed by the faint scent of sage and smoke.

The door opened, and an old woman entered, her silver robes trailing behind her like moonlight on water. Her eyes were pure white, glowing faintly, and the air shifted as she moved. The guards bowed their heads immediately.

Kieran followed behind her, his posture stiff, his gaze fixed on me like he was trying to read a secret written on my skin.

The woman stopped in front of my cell and tilted her head slightly. “This is the one?”

“Yes,” Kieran replied. “She’s changed. Her scent, her eyes, her voice. I don’t know what she is anymore.”

The woman’s gaze slid to me, cold and ancient. “Open the door.”

The guards obeyed.

She stepped inside, her presence heavy with power. I stood slowly, my back straight, refusing to show fear even when I could feel her magic pressing against my skin.

“Who are you, child?” she asked softly.

I met her gaze. “Does it matter?”

Her lips curved faintly, not in amusement but in knowing. “Everything matters. The soul speaks when the body lies.”

She reached out her hand and pressed her palm to my forehead before I could move. The air shifted instantly, the walls humming with energy. The torches flickered violently. My vision blurred as a flash of light filled the room.

My body shook, my mind spinning with images — fire, blood, smoke, Ryan’s voice, the baby’s faint heartbeat, the flames swallowing everything.

I gasped and stumbled back, clutching my chest.

The seer’s eyes widened, her breath quickened. “Impossible,” she whispered.

Kieran stepped closer. “What did you see?”

The seer turned to him, her white eyes glowing brighter now. “She is Lyra, yes… but her soul…” she trailed off, trembling.

“My soul what?” I demanded, breathless.

The seer looked at me again, voice trembling like a prayer. “You are two souls bound in

one body. The cursed Omega and the human who died in fire. You are both Lyra and the other who took her place.”