Chapter 68: A Line Between Fire and Fate

The silence that followed Elias's departure stretched far too long. The fire crackled between them, casting shadows that flickered like memories across the bark of the ancient trees. Serena’s heart still raced, her lips tingling from Theron’s kiss, her mind tangled in a thousand threads.

Theron stood nearby, arms folded, jaw tight. His usual calm had fractured the moment Elias’s name left her lips again.

“He always knows when to strike,” Theron muttered.

Serena didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she stared into the flames, watching them twist and dance as if they held the answer to everything: the prophecy, the bond, the impossible love triangle strangling her heart.

“He’s not wrong about one thing,” she said finally, voice low. “The past... it’s not done with me.”

Theron moved to her side, kneeling slowly. “That doesn’t mean he gets to own it. Or you.”

Her eyes flicked to his, sharp. “It’s not that simple, Theron. Elias and I… we were something, before I ever knew who I truly was. Before any of this madness.”

“I know,” he replied. “I’ve always known. But I also know what we are. Now. What’s growing between us, Serena, that’s real too.”

He reached out and took her hand, not forcing anything—just a grounding presence in the middle of her storm.

“I don’t want to pressure you,” he continued. “But I need you to hear this. If Elias tries to manipulate your heart again, I will stop him. I won’t let him tear you apart.”

She squeezed his fingers. “I don’t need you to fight my battles.”

“I know. But I’ll always stand beside you in them.”

She looked down at their intertwined hands. “Three days until the Oracle’s Ruins. Three days until I’m supposed to make a choice that could rip the kingdom apart or bind it together.”

He smiled softly. “Then let’s use those three days wisely.”

They broke camp at dawn, heading east through the old trails. Theron led the way, sharp-eyed and alert. Serena followed close behind, clutching the book against her chest. The text glowed faintly now, reacting to her touch more strongly than ever. As if it, too, was awakening to the weight of what was coming.

By the second night, they reached an abandoned temple hidden within a ring of moss-covered stones. Ivy choked the outer walls, and fallen columns littered the courtyard like bones. Here, Serena could feel the hum of ancient magic running beneath her boots. The site was once sacred to the Moonbloods—the lost faction of gifted wolves who had vanished centuries ago.

“This place is strong,” Serena whispered, brushing her hand across the crumbled stone. “Stronger than anywhere I’ve felt since the Trials.”

Theron stood behind her, watching the moonlight pour down like silver rain. “Do you want to stay here tonight?”

She nodded. “Yes. I think… I think the book wants me to.”

After making a small fire, Theron laid out a blanket for her to sit. Serena opened the book once more. This time, the pages turned themselves, flipping to an inscription she hadn’t seen before. The ink pulsed like veins of molten gold.

The one who holds the blood of three, Shall choose the heart of fire or sea. If fire wins, a kingdom burns. If sea prevails, the world returns.

Serena frowned. “What does that mean? Blood of three?”

Theron leaned closer. “You’ve been told you were born of royal blood and prophecy, but maybe there’s more. Another bloodline?”

Suddenly, a vision seized her.

A child in a dark room. A woman with silver eyes singing a lullaby. A man cloaked in shadows holding a crying baby and whispering: She must never know.

Serena gasped and dropped the book. Her whole body trembled. Theron rushed forward, catching her as she swayed.

“What did you see?” he asked.

“I—I think I saw my parents. But not the ones who raised me. Someone else. Someone who hid me.”

Her heart raced, mind reeling. “Theron… what if my whole identity was built on a lie?”

He steadied her shoulders. “Then we find the truth together. No matter how far back it goes.”

Their eyes locked. The tension wasn’t just magical—it was emotional, overwhelming. The weight of revelations, of desires unspoken, collided in the heavy air between them.

Then, slowly, Theron leaned in. His lips found hers again—deeper this time, with urgency. It wasn’t just desire—it was fear. Need. A silent vow that no matter what the prophecy demanded, they had this moment, this fire between them.

She clung to him, losing herself in the kiss, in the warmth of his arms, in the pulse of something stronger than fate.

And when they finally pulled apart, Serena knew one thing for certain.

No matter what waited at the Oracle’s Ruins…

She wasn’t the same girl who had left the palace.

She was stronger.

She was dangerous.

And for the first time… she wasn’t afraid of choosing.