The silence cracked like a whip.
Dust spiraled in the air, trembling as if the planet itself recoiled from their presence. Mars held its breath.
Selene stood her ground—flames coiling in her palms like living serpents. Her hair lashed in the wind, her eyes molten silver and fury. Across from her, the Beast loomed—broad shoulders cloaked in shadow, golden eyes burning like imprisoned suns.
"You don't belong here," the Beast growled, his voice deep and raw, like stone grinding against steel.
Selene tilted her chin, a dangerous smile tugging at her lips. "You think I fear beasts?"
The ground quaked as his claws flexed, scattering shards of red rock.
"No," he rumbled. "But you should fear prophecy."
Before she could answer, a surge of dark energy exploded from him. It struck her like a tidal wave, hurling her backward. Cracks spidered through the crimson ground beneath her boots.
Her flames flickered, but her resolve did not. "A prophecy?" she spat, straightening. "You speak as if we've lived this before."
The Beast's gaze shifted toward the distant horizon, where ancient ruins pulsed faintly beneath the dust. His voice lowered, aged with memory.
"We were warned. If she came—the Sinborne Queen—my curse would awaken. And the war that broke the stars would begin again."
Selene's pulse quickened.
"You think I'm her?" she demanded, eyes narrowing.
"I know you are."
Her laugh sliced through the silence, sharp and hollow. "And you expect me to believe I'm the villain in your bedtime story?"
"No." His eyes burned brighter. "You're the ending."
A gust of unnatural wind tore across the red valley. Dust lifted, revealing symbols carved deep into the ruins—symbols that hadn't glowed in millennia.
Selene turned toward them, an ache stabbing through her chest like a forgotten wound. "I've seen those ruins," she whispered. "In my dreams."
The Beast tensed. "Then the time has come."
Her gaze snapped back. "For what?"
As if summoned by her words, the air shimmered. When her fire met his shadow again, the ground split open. Ancient runes flared beneath their feet—alive with searing light.
Selene shielded her eyes. "What… is this?"
"The beginning," the Beast murmured, his tone part reverence, part dread.
For the first time, neither moved. The ruins hummed around them, vibrating with ancient life.
"You were never meant to step here," he said quietly.
Selene's voice softened. "Then why does it feel like I was always meant for this place… for you?"
His golden eyes locked with hers. In their depths, she saw something unexpected—not hatred, but recognition.
"For us to decide," he said, "whether we destroy each other… or save what's left."
Silence stretched between them, charged and heavy. The hum of the runes echoed like a heartbeat.
Selene's lips curved into a defiant smile. "I don't fear destiny," she said, her flames flaring high. "I rewrite it."
The Beast's laughter rolled through the ruins, deep and dangerous. "Arrogance suits you, Demon Queen—until it gets you killed."
She lunged.
Flames burst from her hands like ribbons of molten gold. The Beast met her halfway, shadows swirling into claws. Their collision erupted in thunder, shaking the valley. Cracks snaked across the ground, glowing with molten light.
He caught her wrist mid-strike. The contact sent a shockwave ripping outward, shattering stone pillars into rubble.
"You're holding back," Selene hissed, twisting.
"So are you," he growled.
She flipped backward, landing gracefully. Her smirk was pure fire. "Tell me, Beast—do you always flirt with women you're destined to destroy?"
His eyes narrowed, but amusement flickered there. "Only the ones I've dreamed of killing… or kissing."
The air between them pulsed with danger—and something else neither could name.
They circled each other like predators, the ruins glowing brighter with every breath.
Then a whisper—soft, ancient—slipped through the wind.
"Only in union can the seal be broken…"
Selene froze. "Did you hear that?"
The Beast's gaze darted past her, and his eyes widened—not in fear, but recognition. Behind her, a massive symbol blazed to life on the stone wall, pulsing with the same mark branded upon his chest.
Selene turned slowly, firelight reflecting on her face. "What is that?"
He stepped closer, voice rough with awe. "The prophecy's seal. It only reveals itself when both halves of the curse stand side by side."
Her eyes narrowed. "We're the halves?"
His silence was her answer. Finally, he said, "The curse… and the key."
The seal glowed crimson and gold. A strange weight pressed upon Selene's chest—like her heartbeat belonged to someone else.
A memory flashed.
A hand letting go.
A battlefield on fire.
A promise broken beneath a blood moon.
Her breath hitched. "What did they do to us?"
The Beast's expression darkened. "They made us enemies… to keep us apart."
The ground groaned, deep and mournful. Beneath the ruins, something vast began to stir.
Selene's flames flared bright again. "I don't care about prophecy, or fate, or gods. I came to conquer this planet."
He smirked faintly, though tension rippled beneath his words. "Then you should've stayed away."
The temple shook. The seal split with a blinding flash.
Selene staggered, clutching her head as visions stabbed through her mind—
A chained beast roaring against its bonds.
A queen crowned in flame.
Two souls torn apart by divine hands.
She gasped, collapsing to her knees. "What was that?!"
"Our past," he said grimly. "The one they stole from you."
"You're lying."
His golden eyes softened. "I wish I were."
Before she could speak again, the earth roared. Dust rained from the ceiling. From deep below, something massive and furious began to awaken.
Selene rose, fists ablaze. "What did we just do?"
The Beast's jaw tightened. "We woke it."
She blinked. "What?"
He grabbed her arm, yanking her from the collapsing floor. "For the first time in centuries," he growled, "I'm not the worst thing in these ruins."
A deafening crack split the temple. From the abyss below, a sound erupted—part roar, part scream, part curse.
The seal shattered.
And something ancient began to rise.