The winds in Vanyir had begun to change.
No longer silent, they now carried hisses and whispers, as though the world itself had sensed that the heir had unlocked the second seal of her blood.
Lyra stood before the shattered stone mirror, her body still weak, but the new symbol glowing at her collarbone radiated a strange power warm, yet wild. As if the magic within hadn't been fully tamed, waiting for the perfect moment to erupt.
Kael stood beside her, saying nothing. But his crimson eyes swept the surroundings, tense sensing a threat unseen.
"Something's changed," he murmured at last.
"What do you mean?" Lyra asked.
He looked to the sky, now darker than before, as swirling mist churned like a vortex.
"You've opened the second seal. That means your presence can now be sensed from both worlds. You're no longer hidden."
"Who else is looking for me?" Lyra's voice tightened.
Kael turned to her, his expression cold. "Those who seek to rule Arvadell. And those who killed your mother."
Lyra's blood froze.
"You said... my mother was lost. Not murdered."
Kael fell silent. But the silence said more than enough.
•••
Their steps brought them to a barren black plain no trees, no sky, only ground that pulsed faintly like the skin of some great beast.
In the distance, a tall silhouette emerged: a man in a black cloak, standing atop a stone pillar, his face hidden beneath a hood. In one hand he held a staff made of bone, glowing with a faint violet light.
"It's him..." Kael yanked Lyra behind him. "Don't go near."
"Who is he?"
Kael summoned his shadowblade from the air, gripping it tightly.
"That is Azrakel. Once a guardian of the Shadow Court. Now a traitor."
The cloaked figure spoke, his voice low and echoing reverberating directly into Lyra's mind.
"That blood… has returned."
"The child of Lethira. The Heir. Ah, what a sweet scent your soul carries, little one."
Kael stepped forward, shielding her.
"You won't touch her, Azrakel."
A small, mirthless laugh.
"Kael. Still a blood-bound dog. Obedient to the heir's line, pretending you have a soul."
Azrakel stepped down from the pillar, and with each footfall, the ground trembled.
"Why not hand her over to me? I can take her to where her power will grow tenfold. Beyond even her mother's."
Kael's voice hardened. "You killed Lethira. I saw it with my own eyes."
Lyra turned pale. "He… killed my mother?"
Azrakel turned toward her. "Your mother chose ruin in the name of love. But you… you don't have to. You could become something far greater. Stronger. Ruler of the shadow realms, conqueror of the human world. All you need to do... is surrender to me."
Kael raised his hand. Shadows swirled from the ground, forming a barrier around Lyra.
"Leave this place, Azrakel."
But Azrakel didn't move. He smiled, and touched his staff to the ground.
At once, the shadows thickened taking form as shapeless black creatures with burning red eyes. Five... ten... twenty.
Kael drew his blade. "Protect yourself. Don't unlock the third seal. Not yet. The power is too wild."
"But—"
"Trust me!"
Kael leapt, cutting down five shadow-creatures in a single slash. But more lunged forward.
Meanwhile, Azrakel slowly advanced toward Lyra.
"See, child. He can only protect you for so long. But I... I can unlock all your seals. I can show you the truth your origins, your mother's powers, and... the identity of your true father."
That last sentence stunned Lyra. Her gaze faltered.
Kael hit the ground hard, struck by a shadow-creature. Azrakel moved faster. In the blink of an eye, he was barely a meter from Lyra.
"Choose, Lyra," he whispered. "Remain Kael's blood-bound servant… or become the Queen of Shadows. Free. Unstoppable."
He extended his hand.
The symbol on Lyra's skin throbbed. A third mark began to appear at her ribs burning, pushing, clawing its way out.
She trembled but not from fear.
From recognition.
A part of her deep, hidden responded to that call.
A pull toward destruction.
But through the roar of power, Kael's voice reached her ragged and hoarse.
"You don't belong to the shadows... Lyra... You belong to your own will..."
And in that moment, the world stilled.
Lyra looked at Azrakel's hand… then down at the symbols glowing on her skin. Her breathing steadied. Slowly, she took a step back.
"I... belong to no one," she said firmly. "I'm not a tool. Not my mother's shadow. I am Lyra. And if this power is mine, I'll use it by my own will. Not yours."
The half-formed third symbol faded rejected by her soul.
Azrakel hissed.
"Fool. You reject power that could make you immortal."
Lyra lifted her chin. "I'm not afraid of weakness. I'm afraid of losing control."
Azrakel's eyes narrowed. But before he could strike, another sound split the air.
A golden light burst from the blackened sky. A radiant gate opened, and from within it stepped warriors in silver armor, their eyes glowing blue. At their center stood a young woman, her white hair flowing like mist.
"Enough, Azrakel," she said, voice clear as frost. "Your shadows have poisoned this world for too long."
Azrakel narrowed his eyes. "Princess Ilyana... You arrived sooner than I expected."
"Lyra is not yours. And she will not be enslaved," the woman replied.
Azrakel laughed softly, then turned back to Lyra.
"You will come to me… sooner or later. Your blood… will call me again."
And with that, he vanished in a swirl of black mist along with his shadow horde.
•••
Kael lay on the ground, blood seeping from his shoulder. Lyra rushed to him, kneeling.
"Are you alright?"
Kael gave a faint smile. "I'll heal. But you… you rejected the third seal."
"Because I'm not ready."
Kael looked at her for a long moment. "And that makes you stronger than any heir of shadow I've ever known."
Lyra nodded. But one question still burned in her mind:
Who is my father… and why does everyone want my blood?
•••
The shadow army scattered as the sky was pierced by radiant light. From the golden gate, a figure descended shining like silver. Lyra stared at the woman at their center, her hair white as snow, eyes glowing a soft, storm-filled blue.
Kael tried to rise, clutching his wound. His voice was barely a whisper.
"That's... Princess Ilyana of Valtherion... the Highborn of Light."
Ilyana walked calmly toward Lyra, stopping just in front of her.
"So... this is her. The daughter of Lethira," she said, her voice solemn, but gentle.
Lyra caught her breath. "You knew my mother?"
Ilyana nodded. "We once fought side by side. She was a unifier of worlds, guardian of the veil between light and shadow. But she was also a woman marked by sorrow. And you... you are her last legacy."
Lyra's throat tightened. "Do you know who my father is?"
Ilyana paused, her eyes darkening.
"I do. But it is not my place to tell you. Not yet."
She raised her hand, calling down a pillar of light.
"You must first learn to control yourself. Or the truth will destroy you before you can understand it."
Lyra bit her lip. The symbols on her skin still glowed faintly, unwilling to fade. She could still feel Azrakel's breath at her nape like he had planted something inside her soul.
"This power," Ilyana continued, "is not just blood. It's the fracture of two worlds colliding. Each seal you unlock doesn't just awaken strength it breaks the balance."
Kael added, "We need to go to the Temple of Light. There, she can learn to restrain the third seal. If Azrakel returns and it's fully opened... he could absorb it."
Ilyana nodded. "He's right. But we can't use the common paths. We must cross through the Path of Espector."
Lyra looked between them. "What is that?"
Kael's face darkened.
"A place where shadow can wear the face of light. And where your own mind can betray you."
Ilyana touched Lyra's shoulder. "You must be ready. This journey isn't about defeating Azrakel. It's about conquering the version of yourself you were."
•••
That night, they rested in the ruins of a forgotten temple beneath a rocky cliff. The fire crackled low, but the air remained bitterly cold.
Lyra sat with her back against the stone, staring at the two symbols etched into her skin one like a swirling drop of water, the other resembling a closed eye with wings. Both pulsed softly. Alive.
Kael approached, bringing a warm cloth.
"You were brave today," he said quietly.
"I almost gave in," Lyra replied. "When Azrakel spoke of my father… it felt like a hole opening in my chest."
Kael stared into the fire. "He knows how to wound. Because he... was once human."
Lyra glanced at him. "Were you… once human too?"
He didn't answer. But the bitter curve of his smile said enough.
Silence fell between them.
Then Lyra whispered, "If I ever lose control… and become a danger to this world… would you stop me?"
Kael turned slowly.
"My bond is tied to your blood. But my choice... is to protect you. Even if that means standing against you one day. But as long as I can… I will stand beside you."
She looked into his eyes. Within those crimson depths, she didn't just see shadow she saw pain, loyalty, and a feeling unspoken.
Her blood stirred.
She wanted to trust someone. But she knew... trust was a dangerous weapon in this world.
Still, as Kael's hand touched hers warm, despite the cold she thought should cling to him she allowed her eyes to close for a moment. Just long enough to feel something simple and real:
She was no longer alone.
•••
Far above the fire, on a hill hidden in dark winds, Ilyana stood watching the sky. In her hand, an ancient map glowed faintly its lines shifting with fresh trails of blood.
Circling one mark: the Symbol of Soul Dominion.
"If the third seal opens," she murmured,
"not even she can save herself..."
And the night swallowed the stars once more, as the world quietly began to change.