ログインA sharp shriek pierced the silence of the chamber beneath the palace. Seraphina had emerged through the chamber wall, her eyes glowing faintly as she materialised inside the ancient room. She had felt the disturbance signal from the Lynx Crystal. Her visions had told her something wasn't right when she woke up that morning. She knew something was wrong the moment she sensed it and had come to check on the crystal. But when she looked at the pedestal, there was no crystal atop it. It was empty. For a moment, she did not move. Then she rushed forward. "No! No, no, no!" Seraphina searched the chamber frantically, running her hands over the pedestal and examining the ancient markings carved into the walls. The crystal was nowhere to be found. Not on the pedestal, not on the floor, and not even somewhere within the chamber. Her face twisted with fury. "Who took it?" Her voice reverberated through the chamber. She had spent centuries waiting for the right moment, carefully wat
"Did they hide your identity from you deliberately?" "I don't know that either." "Why would they do that?" Aria gave a small, frustrated laugh. "Kael, if I knew the answers to all these questions, I wouldn't be standing here with a book that has suddenly decided to reveal my entire existence to me." Despite his astonishment, a faint smile touched his lips. "Fair enough." Aria walked towards him. "I need to speak to Xana." "The seer?" She nodded. "She's the only person I can think of who might help me understand what I've discovered. I want to know who the Gatekeepers really are, why they kept my identity hidden, and what the Lynx Crystal has to do with my awakening." Kael considered her words. "Then I'll go with you." Aria blinked. "What?" "I said I'll accompany you to see Xana." "But you have to go to the office." "I can rearrange my schedule." "Kael." "Aria." She stared at him, and he stared back. Finally, she sighed. "You cannot keep re
Aria couldn't keep the discovery to herself. The moment she closed the book, she knew she had to tell Kael everything. There were too many strange connections and too many things she had discovered about herself to pretend that nothing had changed. She held the book against her chest as she hurried out of her room. Kael was in his bedroom, preparing to leave for the office. He stood before the mirror, adjusting the cuffs of his perfectly tailored black shirt. He had just reached for his silver wristwatch when a knock sounded at the door. "Come in." The door opened almost immediately. Kael turned, his expression softening when Aria stepped inside. "Good morning," she greeted him. "Good morning, beautiful." A faint smile touched his lips. "I was beginning to wonder when you would come to see me." Aria raised an eyebrow. "Really? And here I was thinking you would be too busy conquering the kingdom to notice my absence." Kael chuckled. "Conquering the kingdom c
Aria had almost forgotten about the book. Almost. It had been months since she had taken it from one of the abandoned rooms in the facility where she had been subjected to those council tests. Back then, she had been confused about its contents. She had told herself that she would ask Xana, the seer about it when she returned, but she had forgotten about it amid everything that had happened. She remembered the room she had taken it from clearly: the dust-covered furniture, the broken equipment, and the book lying beneath a pile of discarded old books. She had taken it with the promise of returning it when she was done. Something about it had drawn her attention, though she couldn't explain why. After leaving the facility, she had hidden the book among her belongings, intending to examine it later. But life had happened. Her visions had grown stronger. She had discovered abilities she could neither explain nor control. She had learned that her origins might be more complicated
The dining room of the Blackthorn mansion was lively as always that morning. Sunlight streamed through the tall glass windows, illuminating the short family dining table covered with an assortment of breakfast dishes. Freshly baked bread, scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, grilled sausages, sliced fruits, and steaming cups of tea and coffee filled the table. "Good morning, everyone!" Aria greeted as she walked up to the table, still looking a little sleepy despite having woken up nearly an hour earlier. "Good morning, Aria!" everyone replied. "Good morning, babe. How was your night?" Kael asked as she approached a seat beside Pria. "I slept peacefully," Aria replied. She was about to take the seat next to Pria when Kael interjected. "Cassian is sitting there, right, Pria?" he asked his sister, giving her a deep, threatening stare. Pria chuckled as she looked between Aria and Kael. "Yes, Aria, my love. Cassian has occupied that seat. You can take the seat close to Kael," she r
While the news were circulating all around Valthera, Aria sat in her room watching a movie Nerissa had recommended earlier in the day when she was packing up after her discharge. She had been trying to concentrate on the movie for nearly twenty minutes, but her phone kept vibrating. At first, she ignored it. Then, another notification chimed on her phone. It was a message from Pria. PRIA: Have you seen what is happening? Aria frowned as she read the message aloud. She then opened the link Pria had sent her. The headline filled her screen. ALPHA KAEL TO WELCOME A NEW LUNA—NERISSA EMERGES AS TOP CONTENDER. Aria blinked once, then read it again. "Nerissa?" She scrolled through the article, which discussed old photographs, their political alliances, and the supposed chemistry between Kael and Adrian's sister. For a moment, she simply stared at her phone's screen. Then, she let out a deep laugh. She laughed so hard that she overheard the maids passing by asking if she was okay







