*****Harper
The safe house was quiet except for Luna shuffling through some old files at the table. Chris and Hay were off in the corner, murmuring to each other about supplies. I was just about to get up when the door creaked open — slowly, deliberately.
My hand instinctively went to the knife tucked into my belt. No one was supposed to know where we were.
And then he stepped in.
The Gamekeeper.
I froze, my grip tightening. "What the hell are you doing here?" My voice came out sharper than I intended. "And inside the game, no less?"
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached up and unfastened his mask.
I… didn't breathe. The face beneath it wasn't what I expected. He was almost unreal — light blue hair cascading past his shoulders, those sharp, otherworldly features that made him look more like a dream than a person.
"I come here occasionally," he said casually, as if dropping by was no big deal. "To keep an eye on things."
I blinked, still processing. "That doesn't answer anything."
He tilted his head, studying me. "Do you remember when your brother started acting strange?"
My stomach sank. "Yeah…" I said slowly, bracing myself.
"That wasn't your brother," he said, smirking faintly. "That was me. I shape-shifted into Elias to annoy you."
I stared at him for a long moment. Then I buried my face in my hand. "I knew you weren't human."
He chuckled, clearly enjoying himself, but my patience was gone. I dropped my hand and leveled him with a glare. "Alright, enough games. What is going on exactly? Please, just… tell me what's happening."
For the first time, his expression shifted — the teasing edge faded. He let out a slow sigh, stepping closer. "I came to you for a reason, Harper. To tell you that a problem has arrived."
"A problem?" I repeated, frowning. "What kind of problem?"
Before he could answer, Luna pushed back from the table, clearly as confused as I was. "Wait, what is he—"
He flicked his fingers almost lazily, and in an instant, Luna slumped forward, fast asleep.
My eyes widened. "What the— You just—"
"Only you can handle the truth," he interrupted, his voice calm but carrying a strange weight.
Something in his tone sent a shiver down my spine.
And suddenly, I wasn't sure I wanted to know what came next.
The air in the safe house felt heavier now that Luna was slumped in her chair, breathing softly under whatever magic trick the Gamekeeper had used on her.
Chris and Hay were still standing in the corner, staring wide-eyed, unsure whether to step forward or keep their distance.
My eyes flicked back to the man in front of me — maskless, impossibly striking, and way too calm for someone who just knocked my best friend out cold.
He glanced at Chris and Hay, then waved his hand once.
They froze, like they'd just been rooted to the floor, eyes darting but bodies unmoving.
"Hey!" I snapped, but he ignored me, pulling out the chair opposite mine and sitting down as if this were some casual coffee meeting.
"Sit," he said.
The sheer audacity of this guy.
I hesitated for a moment, mostly because I hated following orders, but… curiosity was eating me alive. So I sat.
The wood creaked under my weight as I leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Alright. You have me here. Start talking. And make it worth my time."
He smirked faintly. "Oh, it will be worth your time, Harper."
The way he said my name made me uneasy — like he knew far more about me than I wanted him to.
Then his eyes shifted, distant, like he was looking at something far away. His voice dropped slightly, taking on a storyteller's rhythm.
"A long time ago… before your kind even existed, there was a kingdom unlike any you could imagine. At its head was my father — the Superior King."
I frowned. "Superior to what?"
"To everything," he said simply. "My father ruled the vast expanse of the upper realms. Not just one world, not just one dimension — but the very weave of creation itself. All things answered to him. All creatures bowed."
I leaned back, folding my arms. "Right. Sure. And let me guess — he was also ridiculously handsome, like you?"
One corner of his mouth twitched. "You'll find I am the least arrogant of my brothers."
I arched a brow. "You have brothers?"
His gaze sharpened, and when he spoke again, the air seemed to still.
"Yes. My elder brother… Lord Zareth."
Zareth. Even just hearing it, there was a weight to the name, like a storm cloud pressing down on my chest.
"Then there is me — Lord Kael, the middle child." He said it without pride, more like a statement of fact. "And last… the most notorious of us all. My silver-headed younger brother. Lord Vaelthor."
The name chilled me. I'd heard it before — whispered, half-lost in the static of my dreams.
He leaned back, watching my reaction. "Three sons. Three powers. One throne."
I frowned. "Let me guess. That means war?"
"Exactly." His voice was grave now. "My father could not choose one of us without unbalancing the realms. So he created a challenge — the only path to the throne was to claim the Golden Gem."
I blinked. "The what gem?"
"The Golden Gem," he repeated, his voice like steel on stone. "The most powerful artifact in existence. Born from the heart of the first star, it holds dominion over all living things. Witches. Monsters. Demons. Fairies. All answer to the will of its bearer."
I tilted my head. "And let me guess… whoever holds it becomes king?"
"Yes."
I scoffed lightly. "Wow. This all sounds exactly like a fairytale."
The smirk was gone in an instant. Without warning, his hand flicked forward and — flick! — his finger connected sharply with my forehead.
"OW!" I jerked back, clutching my head. "What the hell was that for?!"
"For interrupting me." His expression was unamused. "You asked for the truth. Try listening to it without commentary."
I pouted, rubbing the sore spot. "Fine. Whatever. Continue."
He didn't look convinced I'd behave, but he leaned forward again, elbows resting on the table.
"There were not one, but two universal gems," he said slowly. "One for the king, one for the queen. Together, they maintain the balance between all living things. Without them, the realms would fall into chaos."
I blinked. "Wait. You said all living things… you mean—"
"Yes." He cut me off, eyes locked on mine. "Every creature you've ever heard of — and more. Witches. Monsters. Demons. Fairies. Spirits. Ghosts. Beings from realms so far beyond yours you can't even comprehend them. The gems keep all of them in balance. Without them, existence itself would unravel."
That… was a lot to take in.
I swallowed hard, forcing a crooked smile. "So, let me guess again. You're saying you three brothers were all trying to get the king gem. But what about the queen gem? Where does that come in?"
His gaze softened, just a little.
"The queen's gem can only be acquired by a girl," he said. "Regardless of her species. It is tied to destiny itself — and once she claims it, she is bound to marry the owner of the king's gem. Together, they rule all realms."
I stared at him for a long time, my pulse picking up. "And… this relates to me… how exactly?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, Lord Kael — the Gamekeeper — leaned back in his chair, studying me like I was a puzzle he wasn't sure he wanted to solve in front of me just yet.
"That," he said finally, "is something I'll tell you… when you're ready."
My frustration spiked. "Seriously? You dump all this cosmic drama about your family war into my lap, and now you're telling me there's more you're not going to tell me?"
His lips twitched, just barely. "Exactly."
I threw my hands up. "Oh, great. Fantastic. Thanks for absolutely nothing, Your Lordship."
But even as I said it, a small, cold knot had formed in my stomach. Because deep down, I already knew — whatever this "queen gem" was… I was probably connected to it in a way I wasn't going to like.
And judging by the faint smirk tugging at Kael's lips… he knew I knew.