The palace shook again, harder this time. Dust drifted from the carved ceiling as Alisha sprinted after Rowan and the Emperor, their footsteps echoing through the marble halls. Torches flickered wildly, the light stretching and twisting against the walls as if the shadows were alive.
Because they were.
A whispering hiss followed them down the corridor — not human, not animal, but something colder.
Alisha's heartbeat pounded fast, too fast. A strange warmth pulsed beneath her skin, glowing brighter with every tremor of the palace. Her lungs tightened.
"Rowan," she said breathlessly, "something's happening to me."
He didn't slow."You're feeling the Moonblood waking. Don't let fear take over. Moonblood reacts to emotion."
"But I'm trying—"A surge of heat rushed up her arm, cutting her off.
The Emperor looked back, eyes darkening. "Control yourself. The shadows sense instability."
They reached a wide atrium where the moonlight fell through a glass ceiling in pale beams. The Celestial Lines beneath the floor glowed brighter here, veins of silver light threading through the marble like star-lit rivers.
Alisha stepped forward—
And the Lines flared beneath her feet.
A ring of light rose from the floor, swirling around her ankle, then her wrist, then her chest. It tightened—not painfully, but firmly—like the palace itself was identifying her.
Alisha gasped. "It's—following me."
Rowan skidded to a stop, stunned. "No… it's recognizing you."
The Emperor's gaze sharpened. "The Lines respond only to the true heir. Your awakening has begun."
Alisha shook her head, trying to stop the panic rising in her throat. "I don't know how to use this—whatever this is!"
"You don't need to know," Rowan said. "Your instincts will guide you, but only if you stay calm."
Calm.She tried to breathe.But then—
A shadow slipped into the atrium.
It didn't walk.It glided, soundless, its form stretching like smoke. Two pale eyes opened in its dark mass, locking onto her.
Alisha froze. Her blood went cold.
Rowan cursed under his breath. "They've reached the inner halls. We have to move."
The Emperor lifted his staff, silver light gathering at its tip. "Stay behind me."
The shadow hissed sharply, recoiling from the glow — but only for a moment. Then it lunged.
The Emperor struck the ground with the staff.
A blast of moonlight shot outward, blasting the creature back. It crashed into a column, the marble cracking beneath the impact, but the shadow re-formed, crawling up the stone like ink.
Alisha's pulse raced.Her hands tingled — burning.The ring of light around her wrists pulsed faster, brighter, responding to her fear.
Rowan saw it. "Alisha—listen to me. Don't run from it. Focus. Breathe."
"I'm trying!"
"Look at me!" he commanded.
She forced her gaze away from the creature and onto Rowan. His expression was steady, grounding.
"Your magic is tied to your heartbeat," he said. "Slow it, and the power flows evenly. Let it spike, and it bursts."
She swallowed hard, trying to focus on her breath—In—Out—In—
But the shadow lunged again.
This time, the Emperor wasn't fast enough.
It slipped past the edge of his light and hurled itself toward her, claws forming from darkness itself—
Alisha screamed—
And the Moonblood answered.
Light exploded from her hands, blinding-white, pure, instinctive. It wasn't shaped or controlled — it was a raw wave of force. The shadow was struck mid-air and slammed into the far wall, dissolving into smoky fragments.
The entire atrium fell silent.
Rowan stared at her, speechless.
Even the Emperor looked shaken.
Alisha collapsed to her knees, breath tight and shallow, light still flickering around her fingertips like living fire.
"I-I didn't mean to—" Her voice trembled. "I didn't know—"
"That," Rowan whispered, "was your first spark."
The Emperor stepped toward her, lowering his staff. His face was unreadable — a mix of awe, fear, and something heavier. "Your power has awakened earlier than expected. The Sanctum may not contain you for long."
Alisha looked at her hands, glowing softly in the moonlight.
"What happens now?" she asked.
The Emperor extended a hand.
"Now, Alisha Valorian," he said, "you learn who you truly are."
Before she could take his hand, another tremor rocked the palace — stronger than all the rest.
From the dark hallway behind them came more hissing voices.Not one.Not two.
Dozens.
Rowan drew a glowing rune from his sleeve. "They've broken the inner barrier. We need to get her to the Sanctum — now!"
The Emperor nodded. "Stay behind me. The shadows grow stronger with every moment we delay."
Alisha rose to her feet, legs shaking but determined.
This time, she didn't let fear lead.
The light around her wrists glowed brighter.
And together, they ran deeper into the palace — toward the secrets, the power, and the destiny waiting in the heart of the Inner Sanctum.