The palace war chamber was built deep underground, forged from enchanted stone meant to muffle magical interference. Alisha followed Rowan inside, her heart still pounding from earlier.
Floating star charts hovered above the central table. Moon runes glowed faintly on the walls, their light shifting like slow-breathing waves.
"Sit," Rowan said. "We need to understand the vision you saw during your awakening."
Alisha sank into a chair. Her mind throbbed with images she didn't understand. "I… don't know what parts were real."
"Just tell us everything," Rowan encouraged.
She closed her eyes.
Light—cold and silver.A battlefield drowned in shadow.A throne of pure moonlight fractured in half.And a tall figure wrapped in darkness, reaching for her with a hand that seemed to absorb the world around it.
"That man," she whispered, "the one made of shadows—he didn't speak, but he felt… aware. Like he knew exactly who I was."
Rowan stiffened. "Did you sense emotion? Rage? Curiosity?"
"Yes," Alisha said slowly. "Curiosity. And hunger."
The Emperor, who had entered silently, moved to stand across from her. "The Shadow King has been dormant for years. Bound, sealed, and monitored. But your awakening might have cracked his chains."
A tremor ran down Alisha's spine.
"Why me?" she asked.
Rowan's expression gentled, though pain lingered in his eyes."Because your mother defeated him once. And prophecies tie the heir to the continuation of that battle."
The Emperor added, "Your bloodline is the last obstacle between him and full dominion."
Alisha swallowed. Her hands trembled slightly, faint silver threads weaving between her fingers.
Before anyone could speak again, the candles in the room flickered.Then dimmed.Then extinguished all at once.
A cold wind swept across the table, sending scrolls fluttering.
Alisha felt a pressure behind her eyes—like an invisible hand pressing inward.
A voice echoed not in the room, but inside her mind.Low. Ancient. Coiling like smoke:
"Little heir… I see you."
Alisha jerked back, gasping.
Rowan grabbed her shoulders. "What happened?!"
Her heartbeat hammered violently. "He… spoke to me. Inside my head."
The Emperor slammed his palm onto the table, runes sparking. "He's testing the connection. Searching for weaknesses."
Rowan's voice sharpened. "Alisha, listen to me—did he try to pull you? Did you feel loss of control?"
"No," she whispered, still shaking. "Just… awareness."
"That's enough," Rowan murmured grimly. "He's waking."
The Emperor's expression was a mask of stone.
"This means our time is shorter than expected."
Alisha wrapped her arms around herself, steadying her breath.
The Shadow King wasn't coming.
He was already watching.