"You can run from me, Bjei."
The queen's voice continued echoing inside my head.
"But you cannot run from what you are."
I opened my eyes.
Shawshank was still holding me.
His arms were wrapped tightly around me, as though letting go would make me disappear again.
"Are you okay?" he whispered.
I nodded slowly.
"I think so."
Marina rushed toward me.
"Let me see your wrist."
I hesitated before showing her.
The golden crown was still there.
But beneath it was the tiny black circle.
Marina stared at it.
Her face became completely pale.
"Mom?"
She didn't answer.
"Tell me what it means."
She looked at Shawshank.
Then at Azrael.
Neither of them spoke.
That frightened me more.
"What aren't you telling me?"
Azrael finally stepped forward.
"The queen has marked you."
"I already know that."
"You don't understand what that means."
"Then explain it!"
My voice echoed through the water.
Azrael looked at my wrist.
"That mark is a doorway."
I frowned.
"A doorway to what?"
"To you."
My stomach dropped.
"What?"
He continued.
"The queen cannot enter your body unless you allow her."
"That sounds like good news."
"It isn't."
"Why?"
"Because she doesn't need your permission anymore."
Silence.
I stared at him.
"Then what does she need?"
Azrael looked at Marina.
"Your fear."
Marina closed her eyes.
I felt my heart sink.
"So every time I'm afraid…"
"She gets closer," Marina whispered.
Shawshank immediately took my hand.
"Then don't be afraid."
I looked at him.
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"Because I'm here."
I smiled weakly.
"You can't promise you'll always be here."
"Yes, I can."
His voice was firm.
"I don't care what the queen is. I don't care what prophecy says. I choose you."
My heart ached.
Before I could answer, a loud sound came from above us.
BOOM!
The entire kingdom shook.
Fish scattered from the ruins.
Marina looked upward.
"She has begun."
"Begun what?"
"The invasion."
Suddenly, dark creatures appeared from behind the ruins.
Hundreds of them.
Their bodies were covered in black scales, and their eyes glowed red.
Azrael raised his hand.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves!"
Shawshank pulled me behind him.
I stepped beside him.
"No."
He looked at me.
"No?"
"I am tired of hiding behind everyone."
"Bjei—"
"I can fight."
Marina looked at me.
"You don't know what your power can do."
"Then I'll learn."
The creatures charged.
I lifted my hand.
Nothing happened.
My heart raced.
Come on.
I tried again.
Still nothing.
One of the creatures lunged at me.
Shawshank attacked it before it could reach me.
He knocked it backward.
Another came from the side.
I screamed.
A huge wave exploded from beneath me.
The creature vanished into the darkness.
Everyone stopped.
I stared at my hands.
Shawshank smiled.
"You did it."
But I didn't feel proud.
I felt terrified.
Because I hadn't commanded the water.
The water had moved on its own.
More creatures rushed toward us.
I raised both hands.
The sea answered.
Waves twisted around the kingdom.
They lifted the creatures into the air and threw them far away.
I could feel everything.
Every current.
Every movement.
Every heartbeat.
The entire sea felt connected to me.
Then suddenly—
I heard thousands of voices.
Queen.
Queen.
Queen.
I covered my ears.
"Stop!"
The voices grew louder.
QUEEN.
The golden crown on my wrist burned.
The creatures stopped attacking.
They all bowed.
I stared at them.
"What is happening?"
Marina whispered,
"They recognize you."
The creatures lowered their heads.
Even Azrael looked shocked.
Shawshank stared at me.
Then something happened that terrified me more than anything.
The queen appeared at the far end of the kingdom.
But she wasn't attacking.
She was kneeling.
Every creature followed her.
She looked at me.
Then she smiled.
"Finally."
I stepped backward.
"What do you want?"
She stood.
"I wanted you to discover your power."
"Why?"
"Because I cannot take a queen who doesn't know she's a queen."
My blood went cold.
"You're lying."
"No."
She pointed toward the ancient gate.
"Ask your mother."
I turned toward Marina.
"Mom?"
Marina was crying.
"Bjei…"
"What did she mean?"
Marina looked down.
"I was afraid this day would come."
"What day?"
"The day you would discover the truth."
"What truth?"
She slowly walked toward me.
"You weren't born to become the queen."
I waited.
"You were born to replace her."
The world seemed to stop.
I stared at Marina.
"Replace… her?"
She nodded.
"The first queen has been dying for centuries."
The queen's smile disappeared.
Marina continued.
"She needs a new body."
I touched my wrist.
"No…"
"And yours was chosen before you were even born."
I looked at the queen.
She wasn't smiling anymore.
For the first time, I saw something in her eyes.
Fear.
She was afraid of me.
Shawshank stepped closer.
"Then why hasn't she taken Bjei already?"
Marina looked at him.
"Because Bjei has something the queen never had."
"What?"
Marina looked at me.
"Free will."
The queen suddenly screamed.
The entire sea turned black.
"ENOUGH!"
She raised her hand.
The darkness rushed toward us.
I didn't think.
I simply raised mine.
The darkness stopped.
Right in front of my face.
I pushed my hand forward.
The darkness shattered.
The queen stumbled backward.
Everyone stared.
I looked at her.
"You wanted my body."
I stepped forward.
"You wanted my power."
Another step.
"And you thought I would surrender."
The golden crown blazed.
"I won't."
The queen's face twisted with rage.
"Then I will destroy everything you love."
She vanished.
The darkness disappeared with her.
I stood there trembling.
Shawshank came beside me.
I looked at him.
"She's going to come after you."
He smiled softly.
"Let her."
I shook my head.
"No."
He took my face gently between his hands.
"Bjei, listen to me."
His eyes held mine.
"I'd rather fight beside you than live without you."
My eyes filled with tears.
Then Marina suddenly screamed.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!"
We turned.
A black mark had appeared on Shawshank's neck.
He grabbed it.
His face twisted in pain.
The queen's voice echoed through the kingdom.
"If I cannot possess Bjei…"
The black mark spread across Shawshank's skin.
"…I will possess the one she loves."
Shawshank collapsed.
I caught him.
"No!"
His eyes opened.
But they weren't the same.
They were completely black.
And when he spoke—
It wasn't Shawshank's voice.
It was hers.
"Hello, Bjei."