The palace corridors felt different as Alisha followed Master Rowan through them—quieter, heavier, as if every shadow leaned in to listen. Servants rushed past in hushed panic, guards tightened their patrols, and the golden banners of Valoria fluttered with an unease she could not name.
Rowan walked faster than usual, his steps sharp against the marble floor.
"Rowan," Alisha said, struggling to keep up, "you have to tell me what's going on."
He didn't answer at first. Instead, he pushed open a towering pair of doors carved with celestial symbols—moons, stars, and swirling constellations. She had seen these doors her entire life but had never been allowed beyond them.
Tonight, they opened for her.
A chill rippled through her as she stepped inside.
The Chamber of Celestials was unlike any room she had ever seen: vast, circular, and lit only by the moonlight pouring through a domed glass ceiling. Silver veins glimmered across the floor in intricate patterns, all converging on a raised platform at the center.
And standing there, framed by the glow of the moon, was the Emperor.
He looked older than she remembered—his once-dark hair now streaked with pale silver, his golden cloak resting heavily on his shoulders. But his eyes, sharp and calculating, locked onto Alisha the moment she entered.
"Come closer," he commanded.
Rowan stayed at her side as she approached. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
The Emperor studied her face for a long moment. "Tell me, child… when you looked at the sky tonight, what did you feel?"
Alisha hesitated. "Like it recognized me."
Rowan inhaled sharply, but the Emperor did not seem surprised.
"That is because it did."He gestured toward the glowing patterns at their feet. "The moonlight awakened the Celestial Lines. They respond only to blood—royal blood."
Alisha's breath caught. "But I'm not— I was told I was found on the borderlands."
The Emperor exchanged a heavy look with Rowan before returning his gaze to her.
"That was only half the truth," he said quietly. "You were found… yes. But not by chance."He moved closer, his voice lowering. "You were hidden. Protected. Smuggled out of this palace seventeen years ago."
Alisha took a step back. "What are you saying?"
Rowan laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You are not a foundling, Alisha. You are the Emperor's blood."
The words struck her like a blow.
"No," she whispered. "That can't be true."
The Emperor's expression softened—not with affection, but with a weight she did not understand. "Your true name is Alisha Valorian. You were born during the Celestial Convergence, under a moon brighter than any in a thousand years. The prophecy spoke of such a birth…"
He lifted his hand. A thin ribbon of light formed between his fingers, swirling like living mist.
"…the birth of the Lunar Heir."
The chamber dimmed as the moonbeam brightened. The silver patterns on the floor flared to life, forming a perfect circle of light around Alisha.
She felt something stirring beneath her skin—warm, ancient, and frighteningly familiar.
"I can't be the heir," she said, voice shaking. "I don't know anything about ruling. I don't even know who I am."
The Emperor looked at her with an expression she could not read.
"That is why we must act quickly," he replied. "Because someone else knows exactly who you are… and they are coming for you."
A tremor shook the palace—this time unmistakable. Dust fell from the high ceiling.
The guards at the door rushed in. "Your Majesty! The outer wards have been breached!"
Rowan stepped protectively in front of Alisha. "Already? But that means—"
"Yes," the Emperor said grimly. "The prophecy has reached the ears of our enemies."
He turned to Alisha.
"Your life is no longer your own. You must survive the night, or the empire will fall."
The moonbeam around her blazed brighter, encircling her like a shield.
And as the walls trembled again, Alisha realized this was no longer a story about secrets and destiny.
It was the beginning of a war.