LOGIN~ Aria's POV ~I watched in silence as Isha prepared everything for the sacrifice.She sat cross-legged on the cold jagged ground, a sheet of thick white paper—almost like cardboard spread carefully before her. With black ashes, she drew a large circle at the center, her movements slow and deliberate. When she was done, she placed seven black candles around the paper, spacing them evenly, then laid dried bones at the edges like silent sentinels guarding the ritual.A shiver crawled down my spine.Isha poured more black ashes around the circle, her lips moving as she murmured incantations under her breath, as though she were attempting to pry open the very gates of death itself.Suddenly, flames erupted out of nowhere.I stumbled backward with a gasp as fire ignited along the drawn circle—but the paper didn’t burn. Instead, the flames clung only to the markings, dancing wildly, alive, as if obeying an unseen command.The sound that followed made my stomach churn.Isha shook the rattle
~ Aria's POV ~"What do you mean my blood can awaken dead werewolves and vampires?" I asked, confusion thick in my voice.The only thing I knew my blood could do was heal wounds. Sybille never mentioned that my blood was capable of waking up the dead."You're stronger than you think, Aria?" Ryker said calmly."I know. I can feel it... but what I don't understand is how my blood can awaken the dead. Is that even possible?" I asked."Yes, it is. You're real and unique, and that's why your blood can do incredible things. All we need to do is perform rituals.""Rituals?" I repeated, my frown deepening. "What kind of rituals?""For your blood to be able to awaken the dead, a ritual needs to be performed," Ryker said.I stared at him. "How do you know all of this?" I asked."You're one with forbidden blood, your blood is magical. I saw it through a prophecy.""Prophecy?" I echoed, growing even more confused. "What kind of prophecy?""I know you're confused. I will try to explain everything
- Aria's POV ~After I left Raven and Thorne unconscious and barely breathing, my next target was their fathers. I wasn't going to spare them. I'd kill them the same way they killed my parents.I halted when I was only a few feet away from Alistair’s mansion. I had chosen him first because I planned to deal with Magnus in a way he would never expect.Magnus wasn’t just going to pay for killing my mother, he would pay for every ounce of suffering and torture he put me through. I wasn’t afraid of them anymore. Not now that I had grown stronger—stronger than they ever imagined.My fists clenched as I strode toward the mansion gate. But before I could reach it, something struck my face.A stone.When I snapped my head in the direction from which the stone had come, I saw Ryker standing behind a tree, signaling for me to come over.My eyebrows furrowed at his sudden appearance. After he ditched me at the eatery, I hadn't seen him until now.He gestured again with his eyes, urging me closer
~ Thorne's POV ~I woke up with searing pain tearing through my neck. My vision swam as I forced my eyes open, the world spinning in and out of focus. For a moment, I had no idea where I was. The last thing I remembered was Aria... her rage, her strength, and nearly beating me to death before everything went black.The whole scenario happened in the woods, so why did I suddenly find myself in an old empty room? Did Aria perhaps bring me here?Did she calm down and regret what she did to me? Was that why she brought me here? These thoughts swirled through my mind, a small smile touching my lips, but it faded when the door creaked open and Lucian entered."Lucian?" I murmured, stunned to see him. I was expecting Aria, not him."Why are you looking at me like you just saw a ghost?" he asked as he finally approached me."What are you doing here?" The words slipped out before I could stop myself, probably the dumbest question I could’ve asked."You should be thanking me... not asking quest
~ Aria's POV ~"What are you doing here, Raven?" Thorne asked, his hands tucked into the pockets of his shorts.I used to admire the way he did that, so casual, so effortless. Back then, it made my heart flutter. Not anymore. Now, all I felt was hatred. Hatred for the boy who had nearly sent me to my death."Didn't I tell you Skylight wasn't the one who murdered Nyx?" Raven said sharply.Thorne let out a bitter chuckle. There was no humor in it… only venom. "How long will you continue to side with that murderer?" he seethed.Raven grabbed him by the collar, fury blazing in his eyes. "You need to wake up from your delusion, Thorne! Skylight is innocent!""Say whatever you want," Thorne snapped back, shoving him away. "She clearly told me herself that she murdered Nyx. She left evidence on the wall that she killed my sister!"Evidence?My chest tightened.Had I been framed… just so Thorne would believe I murdered Nyx?"She’s missing from the dungeon my father locked her in," Thorne cont
~ Aria's POV ~"What did you just say?" I asked, my eyes widened in shock, as I stared at the boy who I thought was now my ally."I'm sorry... everything I had said to you from the day we met were all lies. I knew your parents. I was friends with them... I watched you grow in your mother's womb, that's how I was able to know your name was Rowena... that's how I was able to save your life, because when I went to see your parents after a long time, I saw you unconscious under the bed," Lucian said.My head spun as I tried to process his words, to force my mind to make sense of them. He knew.He fucking knew my parents were dead, and yet he never said a word. He watched me cling to hope, watched me desperately wish to see them again, and still pretended he didn’t know what had happened to them.Hot, bitter tears spilled from my eyes as I stared at Lucian. Everything he had ever done was built on lies, and I had been stupid enough to believe every word he said."I’m sorry..."I slapped hi







