The celebration in Oakwood lasted for days. Banners of gold and crimson fluttered from the castle towers, and songs of Ella's triumph echoed through the streets. But beneath the laughter and music, a strange stillness clung to the air — a silence too heavy for peace.
Ella stood on the castle balcony, gazing across the kingdom she had fought to protect. The stars shimmered above her like distant fires, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that something — or someone — was watching her.
Maeve joined her, her green eyes reflecting the moonlight. "You feel it too," she said softly. It wasn't a question.
Ella nodded. "The darkness is gone… but it doesn't feel gone."
Maeve sighed, her expression troubled. "Evil like that doesn't vanish, Ella. It retreats. It hides. And sometimes…" — she turned to face her — "it waits for the right moment to return."
Ella tightened her grip on the railing. "Then we'll be ready."
But even as she said the words, a chill swept through the courtyard below. The torches flickered violently, and for a brief instant, the shadows along the stone walls seemed to move — twisting like serpents before melting back into stillness.
Maeve's hand instinctively went to the charm she wore around her neck. "It's starting," she whispered.
---
The next morning, Ella found Master Arcturus in the library, surrounded by ancient scrolls. His usually steady hands trembled as he turned the pages.
"Something's wrong, isn't it?" Ella asked.
The old wizard looked up, his face pale. "The spell you cast at the throne room — the one that drove out the darkness — it was incomplete. You didn't destroy it. You sealed it."
"Sealed it?" Ella repeated. "Inside what?"
Arcturus hesitated, then spoke the words she dreaded most. "Inside the King and Queen."
Ella's blood ran cold. "No… that can't be."
"Their bodies were freed," Arcturus said gravely, "but not their souls. The darkness still lingers, feeding slowly. If we don't act soon, it will consume them — and this time, it won't stop there."
---
That night, Ella visited the royal chambers. The King and Queen lay asleep, their faces peaceful — too peaceful. The air in the room was heavy and cold, carrying the faint scent of burnt ash.
She stepped closer, and a whisper brushed against her ear:
"You cannot cage what was born in shadow."
Ella spun around, her magic sparking to life, but there was no one there. Only the echo of laughter fading into the dark.
Her heart pounded as she backed toward the door. "Maeve was right," she breathed. "It's coming back."
---
Outside, the moon had turned a deep crimson, bathing the castle in blood-red light. From the distant forest, the wind carried a faint, haunting sound — like the voice of something ancient awakening.
Ella clutched the small carved box Maeve had given her, feeling it vibrate faintly in her hands. The artifact pulsed with light, as though responding to the darkness rising once again.
And in that moment, Ella understood:
Her battle had only just begun.