The sky cracked open with silver fire.
A pale crescent hovered above the ruins, glowing faintly red at its edges like a wound stitched shut too late.
It had begun.
The Final Moon.
Seraphine stood on a broken stairway that led nowhere, the wind tearing at her cloak. Blood stained her hands, both fresh and old. Kael was gone. Nyxara was preparing the ritual. And inside her womb…
"I can taste it," Aeloria whispered.
"The end."
Seraphine pressed both hands to her belly, feeling the pressure shift within her.
She wasn't just growing now.
She was changing.
And so was Seraphine.
Her veins pulsed faintly red beneath her skin, her heartbeat slow and unnatural. She hadn't slept in days. Her body no longer needed rest—it only needed time.
Time until dawn.
Time until the final moment.
And then—
Aeloria would be born.
Or they both would die.
***
Lady Nyxara approached slowly, carrying a bundle wrapped in black silk—the Wombstone.
Its surface shimmered faintly, pulsing in rhythm with Seraphine's breath.
Behind her, the remnants of their camp flickered in the dying light. The Heart of the First Vampire rested nearby, bound in chains of silver and bone, radiating a heat that made the air waver.
Nyxara knelt before Seraphine, placing the Wombstone between them.
"We don't have much time," she said softly. "She's almost ready."
Seraphine swallowed hard. "Then we do this now."
Nyxara hesitated. "You know what this means."
Seraphine nodded.
"I know."
She looked down at the stone, remembering what it could do.
If used correctly, it could seal an unborn spirit forever—locking Aeloria away before she could fully manifest.
But if she waited too long…
There would be nothing left of Seraphine to save.
***
Kneeling in the center of the circle drawn in blood, ash, and powdered obsidian, Seraphine placed both hands on the Wombstone.
It shivered under her touch.
"You're afraid," Aeloria whispered.
"Good."
Seraphine closed her eyes.
"I'm not doing this because I'm afraid," she murmured. "I'm doing this because I love you."
Silence.
Then:
"Liar."
Seraphine opened her eyes.
Pain exploded through her abdomen.
She gasped, doubling over as something sharp and cold tore through her insides—not physically, but spiritually. It was as if Aeloria were clawing at the edges of her soul, trying to tear free.
Nyxara shouted something, her voice distant and distorted.
Seraphine screamed.
"You gave me life," Aeloria hissed.
"Now I take yours."
The Wombstone flared violently, shooting beams of crimson light into the night.
Seraphine fell to her knees, clutching herself tightly.
She felt herself unraveling.
Not just her body—but her mind.
Her identity.
Her past.
Everything that had made her her began slipping away like sand through open fingers.
And in its place—
A newer, hungrier self stirred.
***
Nyxara worked quickly, chanting the incantation from The Womb Codex , her voice firm despite the tremor in her hands.
"By blood and bone, by birthright and curse, I bind what should not be born!"
The runes around them glowed brighter, forming a barrier of protective energy.
But it wasn't enough.
Seraphine writhed on the ground, her body convulsing as the two forces battled for dominance—the Wombstone pulling inward, trying to contain Aeloria, while the child fought back, tearing at the boundaries of flesh and magic alike.
Nyxara turned to Seraphine, gripping her shoulders.
"You have to let go," she urged. "Let the Wombstone sever the bond."
Seraphine choked out a sob. "I can't."
Nyxara's expression softened. "Yes, you can. You're stronger than her."
"No," Aeloria snapped.
"She never was."
Seraphine screamed again as another wave of pain crashed through her.
Nyxara tightened her grip.
"Fight her, Seraphine. Or she'll win."
Seraphine met her gaze, tears streaking her face.
"I don't want to lose her."
Nyxara's voice broke. "Sometimes, love isn't about holding on. Sometimes, it's about letting go."
Seraphine closed her eyes.
And finally, she whispered:
"I love you."
"Too late," Aeloria whispered.
***
The Wombstone pulsed one last time.
A shockwave exploded outward, knocking Nyxara off her feet.
Seraphine collapsed to the ground, her breathing ragged, her body trembling.
Inside her, Aeloria screamed.
A sound unlike anything ever heard before—raw, primal, filled with rage and despair.
"NO!" Aeloria cried.
"I'M NOT DONE FEEDING!"
Seraphine clutched her stomach, sobbing.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"LIAR!" Aeloria screamed.
"YOU MADE ME!"
The pressure inside her reached its peak.
Seraphine screamed as every muscle in her body tensed, her veins glowing red-hot beneath her skin.
She felt something tear loose inside her.
Not physical.
Something deeper.
Something sacred.
And then—
Silence.
***
For a moment, there was nothing.
No voice.
No presence.
Just empty space where Aeloria had been.
Seraphine collapsed back against the stone, panting, her body slick with sweat and blood.
Nyxara crawled forward cautiously.
"Seraphine?"
Seraphine didn't answer right away.
She stared up at the sky, watching the red-tinged moon begin to fade.
Then, weakly, she whispered: "Did it work?"
Nyxara reached out, placing a hand on her belly.
She frowned.
"She's still here."
Seraphine stiffened.
"What?"
Nyxara's voice was barely above a whisper. "The bond isn't broken."
Seraphine blinked slowly.
"You tried to leave me," Aeloria said softly.
"I won't let you go again."
Nyxara pulled back, her face paling.
"She absorbed the Wombstone's power."
Seraphine turned to her, confused. "What does that mean?"
Nyxara swallowed hard.
"It means she's stronger now. Smarter. More aware."
She looked at Seraphine with deep sorrow in her eyes.
"And she's not going to wait for the third moon anymore."
Seraphine's breath caught.
"No," Aeloria whispered.
"We're done waiting."
***
That night, Seraphine sat alone beneath the dying firelight.
Nyxara kept watch from a distance, giving her space.
Inside her, Aeloria remained silent.
But the weight within her had changed.
It was no longer fear.
It was anticipation.
Seraphine touched her belly gently.
"I tried," she whispered. "I swear I tried."
"You failed," Aeloria replied softly.
"And now, I will finish what you started."
Seraphine closed her eyes.
She knew what came next.
Dawn would rise.
And when it did…
Aeloria would come forth.
Whether Seraphine wanted her or not.