LOGINVioletHer lips parted the same way mine did. She looked stunned, flustered, and in that split second, it felt like everything stopped moving.Me, her, all of us…I had thought about this moment way too many times, usually in my dreams and had been doing so for years. Now that it had finally arrived, there was nothing I could do.I couldn’t cry.Hold her…Nothing.“H-Hi?” Mom blinked. Her hand rose slowly for the handle, and she took a step back, unsure of whether to actually talk to us or slam the door shut. Whatever it was, I could see it in her eyes.I think we all could.Whether it was Greg or Little Violet who had told her, she knew who we were.“Hi, Ma’am,” Kylan greeted, his grip tightening on my hand. It wasn’t to pull me back, but to keep me steady, and if he hadn’t—I might’ve actually fainted.Mom gasped, looking at Kylan. “Holy shit,” she muttered under her breath, then shook her head. “I mean…Can I help you?”Mom placed her hand over her heart, but that didn’t stop the sou
VioletThe first thing that hit me was the smell.I recognized it instantly. The damp moss, the muddied earth, the cold air, and when I opened my eyes…it was just as expected.We were back at the Bloodrose.Not just that, but it was the exact spot as last time. My body stiffened as I stared ahead, wondering how all of this was even possible. Magic was such a strange thing, yet it was real, and it had led us here.A small gasp came out as I looked back, and everyone was there. Trinity brushed dirt off her leggings. Dylan looked a little less shaken than before, Lian seemed ready to fight anyone at any moment, Nate lifted a hand to block the bright light, and Kylan…He stood right beside me before I even processed how he had moved. Our eyes met, and his expression seemed much more calm than the last time.“I’m fine,” I told him before he could ask. I heard a sniff right behind me and turned around just in time to catch Nate lowering his head. I could still see his scrunched face, which
VioletI took a slow breath, letting the thought settle inside me. Dylan had a point. Mom and Dad…they wouldn’t even have wasted their time shifting unless there were other people there to protect me. People like…“Those who protected you must’ve been those they trusted,” Kylan read my mind. “People who they knew would keep you safe no matter what.“Something warm moved through me, and it was surprising, considering my thought went to the man who hadn’t exactly been ‘friendly’.“Grandpa Aelius…” I whispered.If there was someone Mom and Dad trusted, it was the man who had put me into their care and given up his granddaughter. Varius was the one who gave me the box, and he had been the one to bring up Aelius, so it had to be Grandpa. Or just like Little Violet had said…two grandpas.“Do you remember when you looked through Adelaide’s eyes?” Kylan asked. “You mentioned a boy Aelius was close to…and Little Violet said she made a friend. What if it’s him?”“Jason?”Immediately, an image o
VioletAfter a very long and exhausting day, all I wanted was a bed, a blanket, Kylan…And he was here, but it wasn’t just him. The whole group had gathered in the library exactly like we had planned.Us, Dylan, Nate, Trinity, Lian, and Sora.It was clear most of us had a tiring day, because we all looked exhausted, but at the same time, we were all well aware that there was no time to rest. The next full moon was only days away, and we were all on the same page at least about keeping Baelor inside the Veil under any circumstances.“I think the important thing for now is to find out how much time we’ll have, and what it is we want to achieve once we get there,” Dylan began. “And I think the most important thing we can do is remember what was done to lock Baelor back inside that Veil, but if we do have enough time, we should just…end him right there for once and for all.”I let out a sigh, dropping my eyes to the empty spot on my finger. Now would’ve been the right time to twist it so
VioletI slipped my hand down Kylan’s arm and held onto him. My head leaned against his shoulder as we walked through the palace gardens.Usually, he was already out by now, for whatever duty awaited him, but things were different. After everything that had happened these past days, even the simple act of walking beside him felt like a blessing I didn’t want to take for granted, and I was sure he felt the same.Even so, he wouldn’t be able to stay with me all day because soon we’d have to part ways until tonight. That’s when we would meet the others in the library to figure out more about everything.Baelor, the moon, the veil…all of it that was waiting for us, and even though I trusted Kylan with my whole soul, I couldn’t help but feel anxious.“Tell me,” I began, tilting my head up to him, “what are you going to do again today?”Kylan glanced down with a smile. “Visiting my former school, the Lyperian Royal Academy, with Nate,” he explained. “Do boring stuff, inspiring speeches, han
Kylan“You must’ve gone through a lot,” Jack spoke, his voice hoarse. “And I am so sorry no one was there for you. Both of you.”A lump formed in my throat, and it took a few seconds for me to react, mainly because I didn’t know what to do with something like this. From Violet? Sure. But not with a figure like Jack.I took a breath, getting used to the feeling, and then I finally gave in. I held him back.Something cracked open in my chest, and it was a feeling I didn’t even know was there. I guess there was still this empty spot waiting to hear those words, and they came from Jack.“You are a good kid, Kylan. You’ve always been, and nothing will ever change that.”He patted my back firmly. “I will protect you,” he said. “You, Nate…Violet. I will keep this between us, and I will do anything I can to keep you all safe. You have my word.”A sharp breath tore from me before I could stop it. I didn’t know what to feel or where to put feelings like that.Jack pulled back just enough to loo







