The Power Within

The forest exploded with magic.

Mekeala barely had time to react as Lira's dark energy lashed toward her, the sheer force of it tearing through the trees. She leapt back, summoning a golden shield just in time to deflect the attack. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, shaking the ground beneath her feet.

Lira smirked, stepping forward, her violet eyes glowing with amusement. "Is that all you have, little queen?"

Mekeala clenched her fists, magic crackling at her fingertips. "You'll see soon enough."

Without hesitation, she lunged. Golden light erupted from her hands, colliding with Lira's swirling shadows in a deafening explosion. The two forces twisted and clashed midair, the pressure of their battle distorting the very air around them.

Behind her, the battle raged.

Ezekeil, Jack, and Maya fought relentlessly against the wave of shadow creatures surging from the forest floor. Beasts of living darkness, their forms flickering and shifting like smoke, surrounded them from all sides.

Ezekeil moved like fire, his sword igniting with dragon's flame as he cut through the monsters with sharp, calculated strikes.

Jack weaved through the battlefield, his daggers flashing, slicing through the shadows as he dodged their clawed limbs. "This is getting ridiculous!" he shouted, barely avoiding a strike.

Maya planted her feet, her hands glowing with magic as she summoned a wave of silver light, vaporizing the creatures closest to her. "We can't hold them off forever!"

Yet through the chaos, one figure remained still.

Tom.

He stood at the edge of the battlefield, watching, his violet eyes reflecting the chaos before him. He made no move to assist, yet he didn't leave either. His expression was unreadable, caught between curiosity and something else—something darker.

A thunderous blast snapped his attention back to the duel.

Mekeala hit the ground hard, her vision blurring as pain shot through her ribs. She gasped for air, Lira's dark magic still coiling around her, squeezing like unseen chains.

"You're strong," Lira mused, tilting her head. "But you still don't understand your power. You fight against it instead of with it."

Mekeala's fingers trembled as she pushed herself up. She knew Lira was powerful, but this—this was something else.

Lira raised her hand, shadows gathering at her fingertips. "Let's end this."

Mekeala felt it before she saw it—a massive spear of darkness, swirling with malevolent energy, forming in Lira's grasp. The sheer pressure of it made the air feel suffocating, the shadows twisting unnaturally around her.

Panic clawed at Mekeala's chest. She wasn't fast enough.

Then—

A blur of movement.

A streak of violet magic shot through the battlefield, intercepting Lira's attack midair.

Lira's eyes narrowed, her lips curving into something between amusement and irritation.

She turned toward the source and smirked. "Your father spent his whole life helping the king bind his pure royal-blood princess to that dragon's son." She paused, her violet gaze gleaming. "And now here you are, betraying your father."

Tom's smirk was cold. Unbothered. Unforgiving.

"I never agreed with him since the very beginning," he replied smoothly, tilting his head. "And now he's lost, thanks to the ancient magic he used in the ritual. It took a heavy toll on him."

Lira's expression flickered—just for a second. Then she laughed softly, like she knew something he didn't. "How cold."

Tom didn't respond, but his fingers twitched at his side.

Mekeala took the distraction and moved.

She summoned everything she had, magic surging through her veins, pushing past the exhaustion dragging at her limbs. The pendant against her chest pulsed wildly, like a second heartbeat.

Then—it changed.

A wave of energy erupted from within her, golden and brilliant, blinding in its intensity.

Lira's smirk vanished.

The pendant shattered.

But instead of breaking, the fragments swirled around Mekeala, reforming into something new—a symbol burning with ancient power.

She felt it.

Not just the magic—but the connection.

For the first time, she understood.

Her power wasn't just light—it wasn't just magic. It was balance. The very thing Cedric had tried to corrupt, the very thing her mother had tried to protect.

Mekeala lifted her hands, golden sigils forming around her, shifting and glowing in perfect harmony.

Lira's eyes widened, for the first time showing something other than amusement.

Realization.

"You—"

Mekeala struck.

A surge of gold and silver energy exploded from her, ripping through the battlefield, shattering Lira's control over the shadows.

The dark sorceress let out a sharp cry, her form flickering as the energy surged through her. She staggered back, her grip over the creatures around them breaking.

Ezekeil, Maya, and Jack wasted no time finishing off the remaining shadow beasts, cutting through them with renewed strength.

Lira gritted her teeth, her gaze flicking to Mekeala. "This isn't over."

She raised her hands, a swirling vortex of shadows engulfing her.

Then—she was gone.

Silence settled over the forest.

Mekeala stood there, breathing hard, her body trembling from the power still coursing through her. The pendant—or whatever it had become—glowed faintly against her skin.

Ezekeil reached her first, his hands gripping her shoulders, steadying her. "Are you okay?"

Mekeala met his gaze, her heartbeat finally slowing.

"…I think I know who I am now."

Jack slumped against a tree. "Well, that's great and all—but can we take a second to acknowledge the fact that we just fought a nightmare queen and lived?"

Maya let out a tired laugh, wiping sweat from her brow. "Barely."

Tom, still standing off to the side, watched Mekeala carefully.

She met his gaze, but he only smirked. "Not bad, little queen."

Then, just like Lira, he vanished into the shadows.

Mekeala exhaled.

The battle was over.

But the real war had only just begun.