Sera's POV
The silver light consumes me.
It pours out of my skin like liquid starlight, spreading across the plaza in waves. I can feel the Fate weaver essence burning through my veins, amplifying everything inside me a hundred times over.
I feel invincible.
I feel like I could destroy the world.
Impressive, Isolde says, but she doesn't look worried. But power without control is just chaos, little girl.
She raises her hand, and golden light Kyros's powers hoots toward me like a spear.
I throw up my hands instinctively. The silver light forms a shield. Isolde's attack hits it and dissolves into nothing.
She can block divine magic now! Corvus shouts from somewhere behind me.
Isolde's smile fades. Kyros, deal with her.
The War God steps forward. Even in human form, he's terrifying twelve feet tall, made of solid golden light, with eyes that burn like the sun.
Mortal child, Kyros's voice shakes the ground. You think you can defy me? I created the prophecy system. I've ruled this kingdom for a thousand years. You are nothing.
Then why are you afraid of me? I ask.
The question hangs in the air. For just a moment, I see something flicker in Kyros's burning eyes.
Fear.
I fear nothing! he roars, and divine lightning explodes from his hands.
I dodge barely. The lightning scorches the ground where I was standing a second ago.
Sera, run! Caelan yells. Through our blood bond, I can feel his terror for me.
But I don't run. I'm done running.
I pull the silver light into my hands and throw it back at Kyros. It hits him square in the chest, and he stumbles backward.
The War God actually stumbles.
Impossible, Kyros breathes. You shouldn't be this strong yet
Maybe you shouldn't have spent twenty years feeding me divine energy in that temple! I yell back. Every prayer, every ritual, every drop of magic you poured into that place I absorbed it all!
Realization dawns on Kyros's face. The temple was designed to prepare sacrifices, to make them acceptable offerings. But you were storing the power instead of being consumed by it.
And now I'm going to use it to destroy you.
I attack with everything I have. Silver light explodes from my body in waves, battering against Kyros's golden form.
He blocks, deflects, fights back with divine fury.
We're evenly matched.
NoI'm winning.
With each attack, Kyros's golden light dims a little more. My Fate weaver power is doing what it was born to do: nullifying divine energy, breaking the gods' control over reality.
Enough! Isolde screams. Kyros, kill her now!
I'm trying! the War God roars back.
That's when I realize: he can't. My power has grown too strong. Even with the god-blessed armor Isolde gave him, even with a thousand years of worship fuelling him, Kyros can't overpower a fully awakened Fate weaver.
I'm the thing the gods have feared for centuries.
You're done, I say, gathering every ounce of silver light I have left. Your prophecy system ends today. Your control over mortals ends today. You end today.
I throw everything at Kyros in one massive blast.
The silver light slams into him like a tidal wave. His golden form cracks, shatters, breaks apart.
The War God screams as his physical form dissolves, forced back to whatever divine realm he came from.
NO! Isolde shrieks.
Silence falls over the plaza. Everyone stares at me in shock.
I just beat a god.
But the victory is short-lived. I can already feel the Fate weaver essence burning out. Corvus warned me ten minutes of power, then nothing.
I've used nine minutes destroying Kyros.
Isolde realizes it at the same time I do. She sees the silver light around me starting to flicker and fade.
You're running out, she says with a vicious smile. That boost won't last forever. And when it's gone, you'll be powerless again.
Then I'll make this last minute count. I raise my hands toward her.
Will you? Isolde laughs. Go ahead. Kill me. Murder a defenceless woman in front of all these witnesses. Show the kingdom what their 'hero' really is.
I hesitate. She's right if I kill Isolde now, in cold blood, I become exactly what the prophecy said: a monster who defies divine order.
Don't listen to her, Kael shouts. She's manipulating you!
Kill her! someone else yells. She's a tyrant!
The crowd that's gathered citizens who came out of hiding to watch the battle is split. Some want Isolde dead. Others look horrified at the idea of me becoming a killer.
What will it be, Sera? Isolde taunts. Will you kill me and prove you're the threat I always said you were? Or will you show mercy and let me destroy you later?
Through my bond with Caelan, I feel his thoughts: Don't let her force you into this choice. There's always another way.
You're right, I say to Isolde. I won't kill you.
She smiles in triumph.
But I will break your power.
I slam my remaining silver light into the ground beneath Isolde's feet.
The earth cracks open. Divine magic that Kyros gave her is ripped away in a single pull. Her god-blessed armor shatters. Her enhanced strength vanishes.
In seconds, Isolde is reduced to what she really is: just a cruel, power-hungry woman with nothing left.
She collapses, screaming in rage.
Guards! she shrieks. Someone arrest her! She's a criminal! A rebel!
But no one moves. The guards are staring at me with fear and wonder.
The prophecy said you were the Sacrificial Maiden, one of them says slowly. But you defeated a god. You broke Queen Isolde's power. What are you?
I'm someone who refuses to die just because a prophecy says so, I reply. My voice is fading with my power. I'm someone who believes people should choose their own destinies.
The silver light flickers one last time and goes out.
The Fate weaver essence is gone. I'm powerless again.
My legs give out. Caelan catches me before I hit the ground.
I've got you, he murmurs.
Did we win? I whisper.
Look.
I turn my head. The crowd is kneeling. Not in worship in respect.
She broke a god, someone says in awe.
She saved us from the prophecy system.
She's our freedom.
Slowly, more people join them. Guards. Citizens. Even some of Isolde's former supporters.
They're kneeling for me.
We won, Caelan confirms, and I can hear the smile in his voice.
But our victory is interrupted by a terrible sound a crack that splits the sky itself.
Everyone looks up.
The Divine Barrier that protects the kingdom is crumbling. Not just flickering like before actually breaking apart.
What's happening? Kael runs up to us.
The barrier was maintained by the gods' power, Corvus says, his face pale. When Sera destroyed Kyros's physical form, she severed his connection to this realm. Without his power feeding it
The barrier is collapsing, I finish. Horror floods through me. Without the barrier, monsters from the Outside will flood in. They'll destroy everything.
This is your fault! Isolde shrieks from where she's collapsed. You broke the prophecy! You destroyed the god! Now everyone will die because of you!
People start panicking. The crowd that was kneeling moments ago begins backing away in fear.
She's right, someone yells. We need the gods! We need the prophecy!
The Maiden was supposed to die to renew the barrier!
She doomed us all!
The mood turns ugly fast. People who were celebrating my victory are now looking at me like I'm the enemy.
We need to go, Caelan says urgently. Now.
I can't just leave! I protest. The barrier
Is beyond your power to fix right now, Corvus interrupts. You're powerless, exhausted, and this crowd is about to turn into a mob.
He's right. Already people are picking up stones, weapons.
Seize her! Isolde commands, regaining some authority. The Sacrificial Maiden must complete her destiny! Only her death can restore the barrier!
Guards start moving toward us.
Kael, clear us a path! Caelan orders, lifting me into his arms.
Kael's lightning explodes across the plaza, forcing people back.
We run.
Behind us, I hear Isolde screaming orders. Footsteps pounding. An entire city turning against us.
We make it back to the Veilwilds just ahead of the pursuing guards. The moment we cross into the forest, the wild magic shields us from mundane sight.
But we keep running until we reach the rebel camp.
What happened? Mara demands as we stumble into the clearing.
She won, Corvus says breathlessly. She defeated Kyros and destroyed Isolde's power.
Then why are you running?
Because winning broke the barrier, Kael says grimly. And now the whole kingdom thinks Sera caused it.
I'm shaking in Caelan's arms. What have I done? I just wanted to be free. I didn't mean to
You did what you had to do, Caelan says firmly. This isn't your fault.
Tell that to the people who'll die when monsters pour through the broken barrier.
Lyris appears from her tent, her Oracle eyes wide with shock. I didn't see this. In all my visions, this future never appeared.
What do you mean? I ask.
Every future I saw ended with either your death or your victory. But in the victory futures, the barrier remained intact. Something changed. She grabs my shoulders. Sera, what did you do differently?
II destroyed Kyros's physical form completely. I broke Isolde's god-blessed power. I try to remember the battle through my exhaustion. I used all the Fate weaver essence to
I stop.
A horrible realization hits me.
The prophecy said my death would renew the barrier, I say slowly. But what if it wasn't about my death specifically? What if the barrier needs Fate weaver power to function?
That would make sense, Corvus says. Fate weaver energy can nullify divine magic. The barrier is essentially a wall of divine magic keeping out corrupted magic from the Outside. To maintain that wall
You'd need something that can regulate divine power, I finish. Like a Fate weaver.
So the sacrifices weren't just to kill you, Kael says, understanding dawning. They were to extract your Fate weaver essence and use it to fuel the barrier.
Which means when Sera used all her essence fighting Kyros, Lyris whispers, she drained the only power source the barrier had left.
We all stare at each other in horror.
Can we fix it? Mara asks desperately. Is there another Fate weaver?
I'm the only one left, I say. The gods killed all the others centuries ago.
Then we need to restore your power somehow, Caelan says. How long until the essence regenerates?
Days, Corvus says. Maybe weeks. The Fate weaver ability naturally absorbs divine energy, but it's a slow process.
A massive roar echoes from beyond the Veilwilds. Then another. And another.
Monsters. Dozens of them. Maybe hundreds.
They're coming through the broken barrier.
We don't have weeks, Kael says, lightning crackling around his hands. We have hours at best.
I look around at the faces staring at me these people who risked everything to help me, who believed in my freedom, who fought beside me.
They're going to die because I won.
There's one option, Lyris says quietly. Everyone turns to her. One way to restore the barrier immediately.
What? I ask desperately.
Lyris's eyes fill with tears. Complete the original prophecy. Sacrifice yourself. Your death would release a massive burst of Fate weaver energy enough to seal the barrier for another generation.
No, Caelan says immediately. Absolutely not.
It's the only way to save everyone, Lyris insists.
Then we find another way!
But I know there isn't one. I can see it in Corvus's face, in Mara's tears, in the resignation in Kael's eyes.
I defeated a god and broke a queen.
And all I did was trade one cage for another.
How long do I have? I ask Lyris. Before the monsters reach populated areas?
Till sunset. Maybe less.
I look at the sky. The sun is already past noon.
Then I have a few hours to decide. I stand up, even though my legs barely hold me. Caelan, I need to talk to you. Alone.
We walk to the edge of camp. Through our blood bond, I can feel his emotions fear, denial, desperate love.
Don't say it, he pleads. Don't you dare say you're going to sacrifice yourself.
What choice do I have?
Any other choice! He grabs my shoulders. We fight the monsters. We find another power source. We
We let thousands of innocent people die because I wanted to live? I shake my head. I can't do that, Caelan.
Then I'm coming with you. His voice breaks. The blood bond means if you die, I die anyway. At least let me be there.
Tears spill down my cheeks. I'm so sorry. I should never have let you bond with me. I should have
He kisses me.
It's desperate and fierce and tastes like salt from our tears. When he pulls back, his eyes are burning.
Don't apologize for giving me the best week of my life, he says. For the first time ever, I got to choose. I chose you. And I'd do it again.
Even knowing it ends like this?
Especially knowing it ends like this. He touches my face gently. Seven days of freedom with you was worth more than a lifetime of slavery to the gods.
I kiss him again, trying to memorize this moment. His warmth. His strength. The way his heartbeat matches mine through our bond.
This is what it feels like to be loved. To be chosen. To matter.
And in a few hours, I have to give it all up.
A horn blows in the distance the warning signal.
Monsters have been spotted heading toward the nearest village.
It's time.
I pull away from Caelan. We should go back.
When we return to camp, everyone is armed and ready.
We're going with you, Kael says. It's not a question.
To the Celestial Spire? I ask.
He nods. If you're going to do this, you won't do it alone. We'll make sure you get there safely. And we'll make sure those bastard Oracles know exactly what their prophecy cost.
One by one, the rebels step forward. Offering to escort me to my death.
You don't have to I start.
Yes, we do, Mara interrupts. You fought for our freedom. We'll stand with you to the end.
There are maybe thirty of us. Against an entire city. Against the remnants of Isolde's forces. Against a broken prophecy system that demands I die.
But we march anyway.
The journey back to the capital takes two hours. The city is in chaos when we arrive guards trying to evacuate citizens, Oracles chanting prayers, Isolde screaming orders from her throne.
She sees us coming and smiles viciously.
So the Maiden returns to accept her fate. How noble.
Shut up, I tell her. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it to save innocent people.
We walk through the city streets. People come out of hiding to watch. Some throw stones. Others weep.
A little girl pushes through the crowd and hands me a flower.
Thank you for trying to save us, she whispers.
My throat tightens. This is who I'm dying for. Children like her. People who deserve a chance to choose their own destinies.
We reach the Celestial Spire as the sun starts to set.
The Oracles are waiting at the top. The altar is prepared. The ceremonial knife gleams in the dying light.
Wait, a voice calls out.
My father pushes through the crowd.
I haven't seen him in twenty years, but I'd know him anywhere. Older, grayer, but with the same kind eyes I remember from childhood.
Papa? I whisper.
He's crying. I tried to stop them. When they took you twenty years ago, I tried to fight. They forced me to watch you leave. He grabs my hands. I've spent every day since trying to find a way to save you.
It's okay, I say, tears streaming down my face. It's okay. I forgive you.
I don't forgive myself. He presses something into my palm. A ring my mother's ring. She died five years ago, still believing you were alive. Still hoping you'd come home.
The words break me. I fall into my father's arms and sob.
For my stolen childhood. For my mother who died hoping? For the life I'll never have.
I'm so sorry, Papa whispers. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you.
You gave me the best five years of my life, I tell him. That's enough.
We hold each other for a long moment. Then I pull away.
It's time.
I climb the Spire stairs with Caelan at my side. Our hands are clasped so tight I can't feel my fingers.
At the top, the head Oracle waits with the ceremonial knife.
Sera Ashford, he intones. Do you accept your role as Sacrificial Maiden? Do you willingly give your life to renew the Divine Barrier?
I look out over the kingdom. At my father weeping below. At the rebels who fought for me. At Caelan, whose life is bound to mine.
I accept, I say. But not because prophecy demands it. I choose this. To save people who deserve the freedom I'll never have.
I lie down on the altar.
Caelan kneels beside me, still holding my hand. I'll be right behind you, he whispers. Whatever comes after death, we'll face it together.
I love you, I tell him. The first and last time I'll ever say it.
I love you too.
The Oracle raises the knife.
I close my eyes.
The blade descends
And shatters against an invisible shield.