The forest whispered secrets to those brave—or foolish—enough to enter.
The next morning, Aria led the group into the Forest of Forgotten Names, guided only by the fragments of vision granted by the Moonstone Shrine. Legends said it was once home to the last Oracle of the Moonborn, a seer who vanished after the Eclipse War. If anyone knew how to free Seraphine from Mircella's tether, it was her.
But this forest had swallowed greater souls than theirs.
Twisting paths confused even seasoned scouts. Trees shifted when backs were turned. Spirits flickered between roots, whispering names Aria didn't recognize but felt deep in her bones.
Kael stayed close, hand never far from his blade. Raekon brought up the rear, constantly scanning the mist. Seraphine followed in silence, her pale eyes distant, her aura flickering between light and shadow.
They were being tested.
By nightfall, they found a glade with silver-leafed trees and an ancient circle of stones carved with lunar sigils. As they set up camp, Aria's gaze drifted to Seraphine again. Her sister hadn't spoken since the shrine. Aria approached her cautiously.
"You haven't touched your food," she said.
Seraphine turned slowly. "Food isn't what I hunger for anymore."
The words chilled Aria. "What does that mean?"
"It means… I can feel her in my blood. Her voice. Her desires. She doesn't sleep, Aria. She waits."
Before Aria could respond, the ground trembled, and a howl ripped through the forest.
Kael was at Aria's side in an instant. "We're not alone."
Dozens of yellow eyes blinked from the trees. Then they emerged.
Twisted wolves—once men, now cursed. Fangs too long, eyes sunken, claws more bone than flesh. Revenants.
Darius cursed. "They're drawn to dark magic. She's calling them."
"No," Seraphine said, stepping forward. "Let me handle this."
Before anyone could stop her, she raised her hands. Shadows spilled from her palms, forming tendrils that wrapped around the nearest revenants. They stopped mid-charge. Whimpered. Bowed.
Aria's heart raced. "You're controlling them."
Seraphine trembled, sweat beading her brow. "No. I'm speaking their pain."
The revenants dispersed into the woods, vanishing as quickly as they came.
But not everyone was impressed.
"She's turning," Raekon snapped. "We can't trust her."
"I'm not yours to command," Seraphine growled, but her voice wasn't fully her own.
That night, Aria sat alone with Kael. They shared warmth beneath a shared fur, backs to a silver-stone wall.
"She saved us," Aria whispered.
"She scared us," Kael countered. "One day she might not stop those creatures. She might lead them."
Aria turned to him, eyes fierce. "Then I'll face her. Just like I faced my past."
Kael touched her cheek, soft as a whisper. "You carry the whole world on your shoulders. Let me carry you."
Their kiss was slow, thoughtful—a promise more than a passion. But as his hand slid over her waist and their breath deepened, passion caught fire again. Aria pressed him to the earth, taking control, showing strength. Their bodies moved with urgent heat beneath the silver light.
Afterward, Aria rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat.
"You still think she can be saved?" he asked.
"I have to," she said. "She's my mirror. If I give up on her, I give up on myself."
---
The next morning, the Oracle appeared.
Not with light or thunder. She simply walked into their camp—a woman with skin of moonstone, hair like starlight, and eyes that reflected every truth.
"You seek salvation," she said to Aria. "But first, you must remember."
"Remember what?" Aria asked.
The Oracle touched her forehead, and the world went white.
---
In the vision, Aria was five again. She sat beneath her father's desk, crying softly. He crouched down, lifted her chin.
"You are stronger than even you know," he said. "One day, the stars will write songs about you."
Then she saw Mircella's hand tear him away. Fire. Screams. Blood.
The vision shifted.
She saw Seraphine as a baby, sick and screaming. Mircella stood over her with a dagger. A soulbinding ritual began. Part of the dark queen's soul slipped into the child.
The tether was real.
---
When Aria awoke, the Oracle was gone.
But Aria now held a map etched into her mind. A path to the Well of Severance, the only place where soulbonds could be broken.
But it came with a cost.
"One of us may not survive the severing," Aria whispered to Seraphine.
Her sister only nodded. "Then let's make the sacrifice count."
To be continued...