LOGINEmber Frost’s POV“I’ve rarely had dreams since I was a child,” Dorothy said, her voice calm but thoughtful. “Later, I read my mother’s notes and realized why; it’s a side effect of the prophecy bloodline. Once a witch is tied to a prophecy, her dreams are no longer ordinary. They’re either glimpses of the past, old visions, or premonitions.”I listened intently, feeling the seriousness in her voice.“I have a strong feeling this one was real,” she continued. “From everything I saw… it points to Medina’s daughter.”I blinked in surprise. “Wait—you mean you dreamed through her entire life?”Eira shook her head, a small frown creasing her brow. “Not exactly her entire life. She didn’t die. She wasn’t consumed by the seal. At the very last moment… I think Medina’s soul pushed her out to save her.”I muttered to myself, piecing it together. “That explains why Elder Anna couldn’t locate the seal. With Medina’s power, tracking it would be impossible… and she had the Astral Eye working for h
Ember Frost’s POVA faint voice sounded down from upstairs, soft and tired. “Anything you make is fine, sweetheart,” the woman said gently. “I’ll like it.”The girl carried the meal up carefully. Her mother wasn’t the lively woman she remembered from years ago. Time or something crueler had hollowed her out.Her skin looked drained of color, her frame too fragile for her age. She sat slumped near the hearth, barely holding herself upright. Only her eyes were alive, bright and warm like firelight. Somehow, that made the sight even more unsettling.Eira remembered the incident clearly.Mother and daughter ate in silence. The clink of spoons against bowls sounded louder than it should have. Then the girl spoke up, her voice small but calm.“Mom… where is Dad?”The woman’s hand jerked. Her spoon nearly slipped from her fingers.“Why would you ask that all of a sudden?” she said, forcing her voice to be calm.The girl hesitated, then answered honestly. “Sofia left school early today. She s
Ember Frost’s POV Or so we thought.The crime was discovered almost immediately. We were both scolded, and Orion was strictly forbidden from visiting me again until I fully recovered.Cruel and unusual punishment.Still, after five long, mind-numbing days, I was finally allowed to leave my bed.And then came the news—Eira had woken up.The moment I heard, I forgot everything else. I didn’t even bother changing. I bolted out the door in my pajamas, bare feet skidding against the floor.Millie ran after me, arms full of clothes.“Please, think of your health!” she called, finally catching up just outside the infirmary. She shoved a sweater and coat into my hands, her voice dropping into a sharp whisper. “And at least think of your dignity! Her Majesty did not approve all those etiquette lessons for this.”I flushed and quickly pulled the coat on. “Thank you, Millie.”She sighed, shaking her head. “I know you’re excited. I’ll stop lecturing—just don’t scare me like that again.”Before
Ember Frost’s POVIt all came down to one thing: only if Eira herself stepped in could things truly change for the better.“…Alright,” I said quietly, the heaviness in my chest impossible to ignore. “I understand. But how is Eira doing? Orion insisted I shouldn’t visit her yet. I just want to know if she’s recovering.”“So far, everything appears stable,” Elder Harriet answered. “There’s no sign of rejection.”“That’s exactly the problem,” Elder Marcus cut in, adjusting the gold-framed glasses perched on his nose. His brows knitted as he spoke. “It’s too stable. From a logical point of view, this shouldn’t have gone this smoothly. Yet it has. That tells me something went wrong in a place we can’t see. And an unseen problem is far more dangerous than an obvious one.”Harriet shot him a sharp look, clearly wishing he’d keep those thoughts to himself.“Hold on,” I said, my heart skipping. “Please explain that properly. What do you mean by something unseen being more dangerous? Is there s
Ember Frost’s POVNow it was Orion’s turn to face me, and I felt a sudden urge to hide.“Hey, don’t do this! You need some fresh air,” he said, reaching for the blanket cocoon I’d wrapped around myself.I recoiled, trying to inch away. “No… just leave me here for now,” I mumbled, dragging myself to the far side of the bed. “I… I can’t face you yet. Please, don’t make me!”Orion paused, the tension in his shoulders softening. He crouched by the edge of the bed, his voice gentle now. “Alright… do whatever you want. You don’t have to look at me. But at least get out of the bed, yeah? You can even face away from me. Back-to-back. I promise I won’t peek. Can you do that?”“Really? You won’t look?” I asked skeptically.“Cross my heart,” he said with a grin. “If I do, I’ll ask the Moon Goddess herself to take my eyes. Okay, I’m turning now… three, two, one, done!”I waited a beat, then lifted a corner of the blanket just enough to slip out. Using a pillow to hide my face, I positioned myself
Ember Frost’s POV I stared at the girl in the mirror, and for a moment, the girl staring back seemed almost unrecognizable. Her wide eyes, pale skin, and the fresh burn of tattoos made it feel like I was trapped in a dream I couldn’t wake from.When I was a child, I admired comic-book tyrants with tattoos sprawling across their bodies. I thought it looked cool, exciting… But I realized that being a “tyrant” was nothing like I imagined.The pale golden medicine trickled into the carved scars, faint sparks of light flickering over the surface every so often.“With werewolf healing, these wounds will close fully in about a week,” Harriet explained gently. “By then, the same runes from the purification tattoo will be fully imprinted on your body. The Moon Goddess’ power will constantly tear and mend your wounds; it happens faster than it seems, so you won’t notice much on the outside. But don’t think the pain will stop.”She looked at me seriously. “You’ll have to get used to it. And don