Secrets Of The First Queen

The Shadow Hounds charged.

Their enormous paws struck the earth with enough force to shake the entire meadow.

Kael transformed instantly.

His black wolf emerged with a roar that echoed across the mountains.

Ronan and Selene followed.

The Blackwood warriors formed a defensive circle around Aria.

Cassian stood beside her, one hand pressed against the wound in his shoulder.

Blood seeped between his fingers.

Aria glanced at him.

"You're injured."

Cassian gave a faint smile.

"I've survived worse."

"You were poisoned."

"I know."

"Then stop pretending you're fine."

For the first time, Cassian laughed.

"You sound exactly like your mother."

Aria's expression changed.

"You knew her well."

Cassian looked toward the Crown Blade.

"Better than anyone."

Before Aria could ask another question, one of the Shadow Hounds lunged.

Kael intercepted it.

The two enormous creatures collided.

The force of their impact sent a wave of dust across the battlefield.

Kael's claws tore through the creature's shoulder.

But instead of bleeding, the wound released black smoke.

The Shadow Hound recovered almost instantly.

Kael's eyes widened.

"It heals!"

Cassian shouted,

"Silver!"

"Only pure silver magic can stop them!"

Aria raised the Crown Blade.

Its ancient runes began glowing.

She ran toward the creature.

The Shadow Hound turned toward her.

Its mouth opened, revealing rows of black teeth.

Aria jumped.

The Crown Blade struck its chest.

A massive explosion of silver light filled the meadow.

The creature screamed.

Its body began breaking apart.

Black smoke rose into the sky.

Then—

Nothing remained.

Kael stared at Aria.

"The blade..."

Aria looked down at it.

"I think it remembers what it was made for."

Cassian's expression became serious.

"It wasn't made to kill."

Aria looked at him.

"Then what was it made for?"

Cassian hesitated.

"To protect the first Queen."

Aria froze.

"The first Queen?"

Cassian nodded.

"Your ancestor."

"The woman who began the Moonblood line."

"Her name was Elyria."

Aria's heart skipped.

"Elyria?"

The name felt strangely familiar.

She had heard it in dreams.

A woman's voice.

A silver crown.

A dying kingdom.

But she had never understood why.

Cassian looked at her carefully.

"Your mother never told you?"

Aria shook her head.

"No."

"Then there are things about your bloodline that you were never meant to know."

Another Shadow Hound attacked.

Cassian raised his sword.

"Survive this battle."

"Then I'll tell you everything."

The second beast slammed into him.

He was thrown across the battlefield.

"Cassian!"

Aria rushed toward him.

But a third Shadow Hound blocked her path.

It growled.

Its eyes locked onto hers.

Aria raised the Crown Blade.

"You want me?"

The creature snarled.

"Then come and get me."

She charged.

The battle continued for hours.

Warriors fell.

The ground became covered in ash and blood.

But slowly, the Shadow Hounds weakened.

Kael and Ronan finally brought down the second.

Selene and Lucien destroyed the third.

Darius watched from a distance.

His face twisted with anger.

"You think you've won?"

Aria turned toward him.

"No."

"We're just beginning."

Darius laughed.

Then his body dissolved into black smoke.

"Find the first Queen."

"Ask her why she betrayed us."

And he vanished.

Aria stood frozen.

"Why would he say that?"

Cassian slowly walked toward her.

"Because the truth about the first Queen..."

"...is the secret that started everything."

The battlefield became silent.

Aria looked at the Crown Blade.

"What secret?"

Cassian looked toward the mountains.

"One that your family buried for a thousand years."

And somewhere deep beneath the ruins of the old Moonblood Kingdom...

An ancient door began to open.

The ancient door beneath the ruins opened with a sound that seemed to come from the earth itself.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Aria stood at the entrance, staring into the darkness beyond.

Kael stepped beside her.

"What is this place?"

Lucien slowly approached the doorway.

"The First Queen's sanctuary."

Cassian's expression darkened.

"I never thought it would open again."

Aria looked at him.

"You knew about this?"

"I knew it existed."

"But your father and mine swore that no one would ever enter it again."

Aria frowned.

"Why?"

Cassian looked directly into her eyes.

"Because the truth inside destroyed the first kingdom."

They stepped through the doorway.

The moment Aria crossed the threshold, the Crown Blade began to glow.

Silver light spread across the walls.

Ancient drawings appeared.

A woman wearing a silver crown stood in the center.

Behind her were thousands of warriors.

Beside her stood two men.

One carried a black sword.

The other carried a silver sword.

Aria moved closer.

"Who are they?"

Cassian answered quietly.

"The first Queen Elyria."

"And those two men were the founders of the two great bloodlines."

Kael studied the carvings.

"Moonblood..."

"And Eclipse."

Cassian nodded.

"They were brothers."

Aria's eyes widened.

"Brothers?"

"Yes."

"Then why did their descendants become enemies?"

Cassian looked at the wall.

"Because one of them betrayed Elyria."

Aria touched the carving.

"Who?"

The wall suddenly illuminated.

A hidden message appeared.

THE QUEEN DID NOT BETRAY THE KINGDOM.

Aria stared.

"What does that mean?"

Lucien's face became pale.

"The history was wrong."

Cassian nodded.

"For a thousand years, everyone believed Queen Elyria betrayed her people."

"But she didn't."

Aria turned toward him.

"Then what happened?"

Cassian took a deep breath.

"The first Eclipse King wanted the power of the Shadow Sovereign."

"He believed he could control it."

"Elyria tried to stop him."

"He refused."

"The Shadow Sovereign possessed him."

Kael stepped forward.

"So the first war..."

"Was never between Moonblood and Eclipse."

Cassian shook his head.

"It was between the Queen and the darkness."

Aria's eyes filled with tears.

"Then why was she blamed?"

Cassian looked toward the floor.

"Because when the Shadow Sovereign was defeated..."

"Elyria sacrificed herself to seal him away."

"Before she died, she erased the memories of everyone who knew the truth."

Aria whispered,

"Why?"

"Because she knew that if people remembered the Shadow Sovereign..."

"...someone would eventually try to awaken him again."

A deep silence filled the sanctuary.

Then Aria noticed something carved beneath the ancient painting.

She brushed away the dust.

There were words written in the old Moonblood language.

Lucien translated them.

"Her blood will carry the key."

"The final descendant will open the seal."

Aria stepped backward.

"Me."

Cassian nodded.

"You are the final descendant."

Kael immediately moved closer to her.

"Then what happens if she doesn't open it?"

Cassian looked at him.

"The Shadow Sovereign remains imprisoned."

"And if she does?"

Cassian's expression was grim.

"He returns."

A sudden tremor shook the sanctuary.

Stone fell from the ceiling.

Aria looked upward.

"The seal is already weakening."

Cassian nodded.

"Darius wasn't lying."

"The Shadow Sovereign is waking."

Kael drew his sword.

"Then we stop him before he returns."

Cassian looked at him.

"There is one problem."

"What?"

"The seal cannot be repaired from here."

Aria looked at him.

"Where?"

"The Sanctuary of Dawn."

Lucien's eyes widened.

"The ancient sanctuary?"

Cassian nodded.

"The First Guardian still lives."

Kael frowned.

"I thought that was only a legend."

"It was."

"Until now."

Another tremor shook the chamber.

This time, a crack appeared across the floor.

Black smoke began rising from it.

Aria stepped backward.

"We need to leave."

Cassian nodded.

"Now."

They rushed toward the entrance.

But before Aria left, something caught her attention.

A small silver box rested beneath the Queen's statue.

She picked it up.

The box opened by itself.

Inside was a single letter.

Aria unfolded it.

The handwriting was old.

But the words were clear.

To my final daughter,

If you have found this letter, the darkness has returned.

Do not trust the history written by kings.

Do not fear the blood within you.

And above all...

Do not let them make you choose between love and your destiny.

Aria's eyes filled with tears.

At the bottom of the letter was one final sentence.

Your greatest strength will not be the Crown Blade.

It will be the one who chooses to stand beside you when the world tells him to walk away.

Aria slowly looked at Kael.

He was waiting for her at the entrance.

She folded the letter and placed it against her heart.

Then she ran toward him.

Outside, the sky had turned completely black.

Thunder rolled across the mountains.

Far away, an enormous wave of darkness rose above the horizon.

The Shadow Sovereign was awakening.

Kael took Aria's hand.

"We leave tonight."

She nodded.

"To the Sanctuary of Dawn."

Cassian stood behind them.

"I'll go with you."

Kael looked at him.

"You were our enemy."

Cassian looked toward the dark sky.

"Not anymore."

Aria stepped between them.

"Then we go together."

For the first time, Kael and Cassian looked at one another without hatred.

Kael extended his hand.

Cassian stared at it for a moment.

Then he accepted.

Three warriors.

Three bloodlines.

One destiny.

Behind them, the ancient sanctuary collapsed into the earth.

But before the last stone disappeared, Aria heard a whisper.

A woman's voice.

Queen Elyria.

"The first war is over."

"The final war has begun."

Aria turned toward the ruins.

The Crown Blade flashed brightly.

Then everything went dark.

Far away, beneath a forgotten mountain...

A crystal prison trembled.

Something moved inside.

Two silver eyes slowly opened.

The First Guardian had awakened.

And somewhere beyond the darkness...

The Shadow Sovereign smiled.