The moonlight filtered through the jagged windows of the ancient sanctum, throwing fractured beams across Aria's face. Her fingers trembled as she held the shard of crystal Solene had left behind—a memory-stone, humming with truths long buried. Her breath hitched, and the stone responded, pulsing with warmth that sank straight into her chest.
Caleb stood behind her, silent, watching her shoulders rise and fall like the tides before a storm.
"She was one of us," Aria whispered. "The Forgotten Queen… She wasn't just a legend. She was real. And I have her blood."
Caleb stepped forward, circling his arms around her waist. His hands were firm, grounding. "You're still Aria. That's what matters."
"But it changes everything," she murmured, eyes locked on the stone. "Why didn't Solene tell me earlier? Why hide this piece until now?"
"Because maybe you weren't ready," Caleb replied. "Until now."
