The Darkness Within

The next morning, Anne woke to the echoes of a nightmare. Her mother's words from the night before—cold and unyielding—still lingered in her mind. The darkness of what she'd learned, the weight of the betrayal, felt like a shadow that wouldn't lift. Her bloodline, her legacy, her very identity—everything was tied to something dark, something that threatened to swallow her whole.

She couldn't escape it.

But she couldn't run from it either.

Her hands trembled as she sat on the edge of her bed, the golden flames flickering inside her, just beneath the surface. Valtheris was right. She was a dragon, and dragons didn't hide in shadows. They didn't cower in fear. They burned.

And Anne was burning.

She didn't tell Lucian anything. She couldn't. The wound was too raw. The betrayal too sharp. He couldn't understand what she was feeling. No one could.

The castle was quiet when she left her room, the sun barely rising in the distance, casting long shadows across the stone floors. But there was no peace in her heart. No calm.

"Anne."

Lucian's voice broke through the silence, the tension in it immediate. He was waiting by the entrance, his eyes searching hers, but there was no warmth in his gaze. Only concern.

"Lucian, I—" she began, but the words died on her lips. What was there to say?

"Anne, what's going on? You've been... distant." His voice softened, his brow furrowed. "This isn't you."

Anne bit her lip, trying to steady the storm inside. She couldn't keep lying, but she didn't have the answers he needed. "I'm trying to figure things out," she said finally, her voice hoarse. "I... I don't know who I am anymore."

Lucian stepped closer, his hand tentative as it reached for hers. "You are Anne. You're the same person I've always known."

She recoiled instinctively, pulling her hand away from his. "No. No, I'm not."

His eyes flashed with confusion and concern. "What do you mean?"

Anne closed her eyes, fighting the fire that burned beneath her skin, the blood that surged through her veins like molten lava. "You don't get it. You don't understand. This isn't just about me anymore. This is bigger. It's something... darker."

Lucian frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Anne turned away, her breath catching in her throat. The flames within her were rising again, stronger now. Darker. She had tried to ignore it, but it was impossible now. The truth of what she was had clawed its way into the open, and she couldn't pretend it wasn't there.

Her fists clenched, the heat swirling around her like a storm. Her blood was calling to her. It was the legacy of dragons—of destruction and power, of ancient bloodlines and vengeance. It was calling her to embrace it.

"I'm not who you think I am," she whispered.

"Then who are you?" Lucian asked, his voice barely above a breath. "Tell me, Anne. Please."

Anne turned to face him, her heart aching. She wished she could explain it all, but the words wouldn't come. She was too tangled in the mess of it all—too overwhelmed by the weight of her mother's secrets, Valtheris's promises, and the terrifying truth of her own power.

The dragon's voice echoed in her mind, a constant whispering in the back of her skull: "You are mine. You were always mine."

And in that moment, Anne realized something terrible. Valtheris wasn't just her enemy.

He was a mirror. A reflection of the darkness within her. And he knew it.

Anne's chest tightened as she forced herself to speak, her voice barely a murmur. "I... I have to go."

"Anne—"

"I can't do this right now." The words were sharp, cutting through the air. She didn't wait for him to respond. She turned on her heel and strode out of the castle.

The world outside felt different. Darker. The wind carried with it a chill that made the hairs on her neck rise, and Anne could feel the flames inside her stirring, pulling at her like a force she couldn't control. She had no idea where she was going—only that she needed to get away.

She couldn't be around Lucian anymore, not with this dark pull inside her. She couldn't drag him into this, not when she didn't know how far she was willing to fall.

Her footsteps were heavy as she walked toward the cliffs, the winds howling around her. As she reached the edge, she stopped, her gaze falling on the horizon. For the first time in what felt like days, she was alone—truly alone.

And yet, she didn't feel the peace she had hoped for.

Instead, there was a strange calm that settled over her, a cold, steadying presence. She could feel the weight of something ancient and powerful, the sense that she was standing on the precipice of something far greater than she could understand.

A low, familiar voice broke the silence.

"I knew you would come."

Anne didn't turn around. She didn't need to. The voice was unmistakable. It was the voice of Valtheris.

He was behind her now, his presence suffocating, like the dark wings of a predator closing in. She could feel the heat of his body, the sharpness of his gaze, but she didn't move. Not yet.

"Why?" Her voice was quiet, almost lost in the wind. "Why me?"

Valtheris stepped closer, his shadow falling over her like a cloak. "Because, Anne, you are more than just the offspring of dragons and vampires. You are the future. The one who will rise above all others." His words were like poison, sweet and enticing. "And I will be there to guide you."

Anne swallowed hard, her heart pounding. The fire within her had already begun to burn brighter, to sing with the power she was only just beginning to understand.

"I'm not your pawn, Valtheris." She said the words with defiance, but deep down, she knew they were only half true.

Valtheris chuckled darkly. "No. You are not a pawn. You are a queen in the making."

His words hit her like a dagger to the chest. She was no longer sure if he was speaking the truth or manipulating her. But in that moment, she realized the full extent of the choice ahead of her.

The darkness within her was not just an external force—it was part of her. It was in her blood. And there would be no escaping it.

Her fists clenched, the flames inside her burning brighter than ever.

"Then I will rise."

Anne's voice was clear, final. And as the wind howled around her, she made a decision—one that would take her down a path darker than anything she could have imagined.

She would embrace her legacy.

And no one would stop her.