North Duchy
It was already dark when Theodore returned to the duchy. His cloak was dusted with the weight of travel, his steps slower than usual.
But someone was waiting.
In the quiet of the front yard, beneath the flickering lanterns, Aria stood alone. Small. Still. Watching.
Theo caught sight of her and immediately forced a smile—a mask to hide the storm behind his eyes. He didn't want to lie to her. But whether he said it or not, Aria would find out.
"Uncle," Aria said softly, her voice barely louder than the wind. "Is something happening?"
Theo hesitated, just for a second.
"There is," he said.
"Is it too much if I ask?"
Theo sighed. She was always like this—gentle, but never blind.
"No, Aria… you can ask anything." He paused. "But we need to go to the palace tomorrow. You'll understand everything once we get there."
And with that, he moved forward, his footsteps heavy as stone.
Aria watched him go, her gaze lingering on his back. He looked like a man barely holding himself together. The tension in his shoulders, the silence in his steps—he had seen too much.
She closed her eyes. Something inside her stirred—a whisper beneath her ribs.
Her fingers curled, and she felt it: the faint warmth of her golden aura, flickering under the surface like a dying ember. It was still there. But something was blocking it. Suppressing it.
She drew a breath.
"System…" she whispered.
Silence.
No chime.
No message.
No voice.
Nothing.
The Next Day
The journey to the palace was cloaked in silence. Aria, though clad in the black armor of the North's most feared knights, still carried the blood of royalty — a daughter of the South, and a princess by right. As she walked beside Theodore through the marbled hallways, nobles and servants bowed their heads in reverence. The weight of two powerful bloodlines walked between them — but not even that could ease the tension clinging to the air.
Something felt off.
Aria's brows furrowed when they passed the grand council chamber. Her footsteps slowed as they turned toward a quieter, older corridor — the one that led to her mother's quarters.
"Uncle… why are we going to Mother's room?" she asked softly.
Theodore didn't respond. He simply stopped in front of the familiar door, took a long breath, and placed his hand on the handle.
"Aria," he said, his voice strained, "I need you to be brave."
Confusion turned to dread.
When the door opened, the world stopped.
Selene lay motionless on the bed — her beauty still sharp, still radiant, but her skin ghost-pale, her breathing faint. It was as though time itself had frozen around her, holding her hostage in an eternal slumber.
Aria rushed forward, falling to her knees beside the bed. Her hands trembled as she touched her mother's face — cold.
"Mom…" she whispered, the word breaking in her throat like glass.
It felt foreign. Distant. How long had it been since she last spoke that word with warmth? How many lifetimes had passed between them?
Theodore began to explain — the failed trap, Khalid's escape, the fading of Selene's aura — but Aria barely heard him. All she could focus on was the fragile strength in Selene's hand as she held it tightly.
"So… Khalid was behind all of it," Aria said at last, her eyes burning but dry. Her voice held no tremor — only the weight of fury and heartbreak.
Theo nodded.
Aria gave a bitter laugh, sharp and short. "And now we wait… until the Silver Sword awakens?"
"Yes," Caisson said quietly, stepping forward. "We wait."
She turned to him, voice tightening. "And what about her? My mother? Are we just going to sit here while she fades away?"
No one answered.The silence was heavier than steel.
Selene was fighting her own war now — between life and death. There was nothing they could do… unless Aria awakened her full power. But those who knew the truth said nothing. Not yet.
Aria clenched Selene's hand tighter.She had tried to save her before — in other lives, in other ways — but she had always failed.
And this time, she was done failing.
"What about my father?"
The question escaped Aria's lips before she could stop it.
Kaelen was always there — always beside Selene like her shadow, like her shield. Not seeing him now made the air heavier, her fear sharper. The thought of losing both parents at once sent a shiver through her.
But before anyone could answer, the door creaked open.
Kaelen stumbled inside.
He was covered in blood and dust, his armor torn and skin scratched raw. His lips were cracked, his eyes red and sunken as if he hadn't slept in days — or cried all his tears until nothing was left. His movements were slow, as if life itself weighed on every step.
No words passed between them. He simply approached Selene's bedside and looked down at her.
His expression was unreadable — not because he felt nothing, but because he felt too much.
Then his gaze turned to Aria.
For a moment, father and daughter stared at one another — two mirrors of Selene, both carrying her fire, both burning differently. He raised a hand and gently tapped Aria's head, a silent gesture of reassurance, though his touch trembled.
The room grew still.
Moments later, Icarus and Abigel entered. Abigel quickly knelt beside Aria, clasping her hand tightly. Her eyes were filled with worry.
Kaelen reached inside his tattered cloak and pulled out something wrapped in dark velvet. Without a word, he handed it to Icarus.
Icarus unfolded the cloth, revealing a small, black vial glowing faintly with a red pulse — dangerous and alive.
"Are you sure?" Icarus asked, voice grim. Even he looked shaken.
Aria stood up abruptly, eyes locked on the vial.
"Dad… what is that? What's going on?" she asked, voice sharp with panic.
Kaelen didn't answer. He didn't even meet her eyes.
Instead, he looked at Selene again, his expression softening just a little.
"In case it doesn't work…" he said quietly, his voice hoarse and worn, "…please make sure I lay beside her.Even if she won't agree… she can't live without me."