The night my life ended did not come with thunder or warning. It came quietly. Soft as moonlight. Sharp as betrayal.
The kingdom of Ebonvale was celebrating the Eclipse Festival, lanterns floating through the air like trapped stars. Music rang through the courtyard and people danced under violet skies, their laughter warm and bright. Everyone was smiling. Everyone except me.
I stood behind my twin sister Seraphine, watching the crowd worship her like they always did. She was golden-haired, sweet-voiced, and perfect in the eyes of the kingdom. They adored her. The Elders adored her. Even the Moon Oracle whispered that her destiny burned brighter than mine.
No one noticed me. Not really. Not unless it was to compare us. And I always came out lacking.
"Lyria," Seraphine said with a soft giggle as she leaned close, her perfume heavy and sweet. "Do try to smile. You look like a wilted flower."
She said it softly. Sweetly. So no one would hear the venom but me. She did that often.
I forced a smile. I had gotten good at it.
The drums changed rhythm. The sky darkened further. A swirl of shadows bled across the festival grounds as an unnatural wind tore through the crowd. The lanterns flickered violently, then dimmed.
A murmur spread.
"Are they here?"
"The Shadowborn Princes…"
Fear and excitement shivered through the people like static.
Everyone had heard the stories. The three princes of the Shadow Court. Raven, Draven, and Malek. Born of darkness. Forged from forbidden magic. They rarely left their cursed realm, but when they did, destinies were rewritten.
And tonight, they were coming to claim their fated mate.
Every gaze turned expectantly toward Seraphine. Of course they did. Beautiful Seraphine. Perfect Seraphine. The girl everyone wanted to be chosen.
She placed a delicate hand over her heart and pretended to blush. "Sister," she whispered, "are you nervous? I know it cannot be you, but I hope you will not be too disappointed."
I said nothing. There was nothing to say. She was right.
Then the torches blew out.
A low thunder echoed from the forest. Three figures emerged from the drifting fog, their forms tall and powerful. Their very presence stole the air around us. Shadows wrapped around them like living armor.
Raven stepped forward first. Black-haired, sharp jawed, eyes cold as winter. His aura made the crowd stumble back instinctively.
Draven followed. Silver hair, emotionless expression, a chilling calm surrounding him.
And then Malek. Taller. Broader. Eyes burning with something unreadable. Power coiled around him in waves that made the stone beneath my feet hum.
The princes surveyed the crowd with terrifying intensity.
Seraphine straightened her dress.
The wind stilled.
Raven's voice cut through the silence. "Where is she."
The crowd erupted into whispers. Seraphine stepped forward, smiling as if greeting a lover.
"I am Seraphine of Ebonvale," she said softly. "You must be seeking me."
Raven looked at her. Once.
Then he walked past her.
My breath caught. Seraphine froze, confusion twisting her features.
Draven followed, shadows brushing his boots. Malek's eyes burned as he scanned the crowd, then locked onto something behind Seraphine.
Onto me.
My stomach dropped.
No.
No. This could not be happening.
I stepped back instinctively, but Malek moved with a speed that made the air crackle. His hand wrapped around my wrist, hot and cold at once, like the touch of fire dipped in frost.
"You." His voice was deep and rough. "Found you."
Raven stood at my other side in a single heartbeat. His fingers brushed my cheek, sending a shock through my entire body.
Draven came last. He reached out a single gloved hand and touched my pulse point, as if confirming something.
"It is her," Draven said, his voice emotionless. "The bond resonates only with Lyria."
Seraphine's face twisted. "No. No, you must be mistaken. She is nothing. She cannot be the one. I am the gifted one, not her."
The air tightened dangerously.
Raven turned to her slowly. "The bond does not lie."
Malek's grip on my wrist tightened as Seraphine lunged forward. "You will not take what belongs to me," she spat. "She steals everything. The attention. The pity. The affection. Now the Shadowborn too? No. I will not allow this."
Her voice broke. Not from sadness. From rage.
The princes ignored her.
Completely.
Malek pulled me closer, shadows licking at his arms like serpents. "You are ours," he said, the words a vow that made my pulse stumble. "By destiny and by right."
My lips parted. "I… I do not understand."
Raven's eyes softened for the briefest second. "You will."
Draven's voice wrapped around my mind like silk. "Your life as you knew it is over."
The bond pulsed. I felt it. Deep in my bones. Terrifying and warm and overwhelming.
Seraphine screamed.
"Lyria does not deserve this. She is weak. She is cursed. You cannot choose her."
Malek turned his head, fixing her with a stare that silenced the entire courtyard.
"She is the one chosen," he said flatly. "Fight destiny if you want. You will lose."
Seraphine trembled with fury, tears shining in her eyes as she whispered, "I will make you regret this, Lyria. I swear it."
My heart twisted painfully.
Before I could speak, Raven placed a hand on my back.
"It is time."
The shadows surged, swallowing everything. The festival lights, the crowd, the music. My sister's furious face faded into darkness.
I gasped as the world disappeared, the ground falling out beneath me.
Malek's hand on my wrist.
Raven's presence at my back.
Draven's calm breathing beside me.
Surrounded by shadows.
Claimed by fate.
Bound to three princes I did not know.
The last thing I heard was Raven's quiet voice.
"Welcome to the Shadow Court, Lyria. Your real life begins now."