A soft breeze brushed my cheek.
I blinked slowly, groaning as a dull pain throbbed at the back of my head. My body felt heavy, like I hadn't moved in hours. The scent of damp earth and pine filled the cave air.
Where am I?
Memories came rushing back — the rejection, the cave, the blinding silver light.
I jolted upright — or tried to. A warm hand pressed gently against my shoulder.
"Easy," a voice murmured, calm and low. "You hit your head pretty hard."
The tone was steady but commanding, threaded with a quiet strength.
I turned my head and saw him.
A man knelt beside me, silver hair falling into storm-grey eyes that watched me with unsettling focus. His presence was ancient yet alive, carrying a power that didn't suffocate like Fredrick's — it steadied, anchored.
He looked barely older than twenty, but his aura said otherwise.
"Who are you?" I croaked, throat raw.
He smiled faintly. "My name is Lucien. And you… you're not just a wolf, are you?"
My breath hitched. "What do you mean?"
Lucien didn't answer right away. He slid an arm behind my back and helped me sit up against the cave wall. Intricate tattoos glowed faintly along his forearm — symbols alive with shifting light.
"You're something rare, Felice," he said quietly. "Very rare. I've been looking for you."
"Looking for me? Why?" Suspicion tightened my voice.
"Because you're in danger," he said simply. "And because the balance of power in this realm depends on what you choose next."
My heart hammered. "I just wanted to leave the palace. I didn't ask for any of this."
"I know." His gaze softened. "But your blood, your soul… they carry a power long forgotten. And now that it's awakened, others will come for you."
"Awakened?" I repeated, the word foreign on my tongue.
Lucien nodded. "When Fredrick rejected you, he didn't just sever a bond — he triggered your full awakening. Your magic isn't dormant anymore."
The world tilted. My life had already shattered once tonight, and now a stranger was telling me I was something impossible.
"So what now?" I whispered.
Lucien rose and offered his hand. "Now, you learn who you are. And we prepare for what's coming."
I hesitated. Then I took his hand.
The instant our skin touched, a pulse of energy surged through me like lightning. My wolf stirred. My vampire hissed. And deep within, my witch whispered ancient words I didn't understand.
Light flared beneath my skin, warm and wild.
Something inside me had been unlocked — something fierce and boundless.
Nothing would ever be the same again.