Seraphina's POV
"Lucian."
His name comes out broken, barely a whisper. Because the boy standing before me looks like my brother—same green eyes, same dark hair, same freckle on his left cheek—but everything else is wrong.
The Lucian I knew laughed too loud and collected beetles in jars. He used to sneak into my room at night when he had nightmares, clutching his stuffed dragon.
This Lucian's eyes are cold. Empty. His smile is sharp as a blade.
"What's wrong, Sera?" He tilts his head mockingly. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Oh wait—you did. Mother always was dramatic, even in death."
The casual cruelty in his voice makes me flinch.
"What did they do to you?" I breathe.
"They opened my eyes." Lucian steps closer, the crystal with our father's soul pulsing in his hand. "They showed me the truth about our perfect family. About the nobles who sold us out. About Mother and Father being too weak to see the danger."
"That's not true—"
"Isn't it?" His voice rises. "Where were you that night, Sera? When the soldiers came? When they were killing our family?"
"I was hiding," I say, shame burning through me. "I was scared—"
"You were a COWARD!" He slams his fist against the wall. "You hid while they murdered our parents. While they dragged Marcus and Elena away. While they hunted for me in the burning palace."
Tears stream down my face. "I was seventeen. I didn't know what to do—"
"You could have fought! You could have used your magic!" His eyes blaze with accusation. "But no. You just watched. You survived while everyone else died."
"I tried to find you!" I'm sobbing now. "I searched the bodies. I found one I thought was yours. I buried him. I mourned you for five years!"
"That was Marcus," Lucian says flatly. "They dressed him in my clothes to make you think I was dead. And you fell for it. You gave up on me."
The words hit like physical blows. He's right. I did give up. I believed he was gone.
"I'm sorry," I whisper. "Lucian, I'm so sorry—"
"Sorry?" He laughs, bitter and harsh. "Sorry doesn't bring back five years. Sorry doesn't erase being tortured for information. Sorry doesn't fix what they did to me!"
My blood runs cold. "Tortured? Who tortured you?"
Lucian's smile returns, but it's worse now—broken and twisted. "Your new husband's family. The Thornes. They kept me in a cell beneath this very palace. They wanted to know about our family's magic, about the artifacts, about everything."
I turn to look at Caspian, who's gone white as snow.
"No," Caspian says firmly. "I didn't know. I swear I didn't—"
"Your father knew," Lucian interrupts. "King Aldric personally supervised my interrogations. He was very thorough."
Caspian looks like he might be sick. "When? When did this happen?"
"For the first two years after the invasion." Lucian's voice is eerily calm. "Then Silva's people rescued me. They showed me kindness when my own sister forgot I existed. So yes, Sera. I signed that kill order. Because you're not my sister anymore. You're just another obstacle."
"Lucian, please—"
"Enough talking." He raises the crystal high. "Father's soul has been waiting five years for revenge. Time to let him out."
"Wait!" Caspian steps forward. "Your father's soul can't be conscious in there. Soul magic doesn't work that way—"
"Doesn't it?" Lucian's smile is terrifying. "I've learned so much these past few years. Blood magic. Soul magic. Dark magic even Mother didn't know existed. Want to see?"
He squeezes the crystal and our father's face inside contorts in agony.
"Stop!" I scream. "You're hurting him!"
"He's already dead, Sera. This is just what's left. And I'm going to use every drop of power in his soul to destroy you both."
The crystal begins to glow brighter, filling the room with crimson light. I feel magic building, massive and terrible, like a storm about to break.
"Seraphina, get behind me," Caspian orders, raising his sword.
"No." I step forward instead. "Lucian, I know you're angry. I know you hate me. But this isn't you. The brother I knew wouldn't—"
"The brother you knew is DEAD!" Lucian's scream is raw with pain. "He died in that cell, begging for someone to save him. Calling for his sister who never came!"
His words shatter something inside me. Because he's right. I should have looked harder. Should have known he was alive.
"I failed you," I say quietly. "You're right. I failed you as a sister. But Lucian, this won't fix anything. Killing me won't bring back those five years—"
"No. But it will feel good."
He releases the magic.
Red energy explodes from the crystal, a wave of pure destructive force. Caspian's ice magic rises to meet it, but it's not enough. The power is too strong.
I don't think. I just act.
I grab Caspian's hand and pour my golden magic into him. Our powers merge—his winter cold and my golden light—creating something new. Something stronger.
A shield of gold and ice materializes between us and the attack.
The red magic slams into it and—stops.
Lucian's eyes widen in shock. "Impossible. That's... that's bonded magic. You can't bond with someone you just met—"
"Maybe I can," I gasp, holding the shield steady. "Because I choose him. I choose to trust him."
"Then you're a fool!" Lucian pours more power into his attack. The crystal in his hand begins to crack.
"You're going to destroy Father's soul!" I shout.
"So what? He's dead anyway!"
"He wouldn't want this!" My voice breaks. "He wouldn't want you to become a monster for revenge!"
"You don't know what he'd want! You weren't there!"
The crystal shatters.
For a moment, the magic falters. Then—
A different light erupts from the broken pieces. Not red. Blue.
My father's ghost materializes, just as my mother's did. But unlike her peaceful release, he looks angry. His spirit form crackles with power.
"Lucian," my father's ghost says, his voice echoing with otherworldly resonance. "What have you done?"
Lucian stumbles back, his face shocked. "Father?"
"You've betrayed everything we taught you. Everything we died protecting." The ghost turns to me. "Seraphina. My brave girl. I'm sorry you had to see this. Sorry for what's about to happen."
"What's about to happen?" I whisper.
My father's ghost looks at Lucian with infinite sadness. "When a soul is forcibly released from its prison, it seeks the one who trapped it. To balance the scales."
Lucian goes pale. "No. No, I didn't trap you—Silva did the ritual—"
"But you held the crystal. You used my soul for power. You are the one who must pay the price."
"Father, please—" Lucian's voice cracks, suddenly sounding young and scared. Like the boy I remember.
"I love you, my son. Even now. But there are laws older than kingdoms. Older than magic itself." My father's ghost begins to glow brighter. "I'm sorry."
He rushes forward and—merges with Lucian.
My brother screams, his body convulsing as blue light pours into him. Not attacking. Healing. I feel the magic working, burning away the dark corruption, the twisted teachings, the five years of torture and manipulation.
It's saving him.
But it's also destroying our father's ghost in the process.
"No!" I run forward, trying to reach them. "There has to be another way—"
"There isn't," my father's voice comes from everywhere and nowhere. "Tell your brother... tell him I forgive him. And Seraphina... trust your husband. He's not what you think. Neither is his father."
"What do you mean?" Caspian demands.
But the light is fading. My father's presence grows weaker. "The truth... is in the vault... beneath the throne room... find the real—"
The light explodes outward one final time, then vanishes completely.
Lucian collapses to the floor, unconscious but breathing.
I drop beside him, checking his pulse. It's steady. Strong.
"He's alive," I sob in relief.
"But your father..." Caspian kneels beside me. "I'm sorry, Seraphina."
"He saved him. Father saved Lucian." I touch my brother's face—peaceful now, the cruelty gone from his features. "He looks like himself again."
"What did he mean about my father?" Caspian asks quietly. "About the vault?"
Before I can answer, Lucian's eyes flutter open.
For a moment, he just stares at me. Then tears fill his eyes.
"Sera?" His voice is small. Young. Twelve years old again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. They made me believe—they showed me false memories—"
"Shh. It's okay. You're safe now." I pull him into my arms, and he clings to me like he used to when he was little.
"I missed you," he sobs. "I was so scared. They hurt me so much—"
"I know. I know. But you're safe now. I promise."
Caspian stands, giving us space. He looks toward the door, his expression dark. "We need to move. Silva will have felt that magic release. She'll come—"
The door explodes inward.
But it's not Silva.
King Aldric himself stands in the doorway, surrounded by royal guards. His cold eyes survey the room—me holding Lucian, Caspian with his sword drawn, the shattered crystals on the floor.
"Well, well," the King says softly. "What an interesting wedding night. Caspian, step away from the prisoners."
"Prisoners?" Caspian's voice is dangerous. "She's my wife—"
"She's a traitor who just freed two trapped souls, releasing dangerous magic into my palace." King Aldric's smile is cruel. "And the boy is a weapon I've been carefully preparing for five years. You've both just ruined months of work."
I hold Lucian tighter as understanding crashes over me.
It wasn't Silva who tortured my brother.
It was the King.
And he's been planning something far worse than we imagined.
"Caspian," King Aldric says calmly, "kill them both. That's an order. Prove your loyalty to Thornhaven."
Caspian doesn't move. His sword trembles in his h
and.
"Now, son," the King says, his voice turning to ice. "Or I'll have you executed alongside them."