Chapter Thirty-Six: The Clash of Fire and Shadow

The moment Lucian turned his back on the throne, the shadows lunged.

Selene barely had time to react before the darkness erupted from the floor, slithering toward them like living tendrils. The chamber trembled, the air thick with magic, and then—

Boom!

A pulse of pure force blasted outward as Lucian raised his hand. His silver eyes burned with defiance as his magic surged to life, slashing through the shadows before they could reach him.

But Valerian was already moving.

His voice was cold, unyielding.

"You are making a mistake, Lucian."

With a flick of his wrist, the darkness twisted into monstrous shapes—black wolves with glowing red eyes, their snarls vibrating through the air. The torches lining the chamber flickered and died, leaving only eerie blue flames hovering above the throne.

Lucian drew his blade.

Selene summoned fire to her hands.

Draven, of course, simply smirked. "Ah. Now this is more like it."

The shadow wolves charged.

Selene reacted on instinct, throwing her hands forward. A blast of white-hot fire erupted from her palms, engulfing the nearest wolf. The creature let out a distorted, inhuman screech before disintegrating into black smoke.

But there were more.

Lucian moved fast, his sword slicing through the tendrils that tried to coil around him. He dodged left, spun, and in one fluid motion, drove his blade into the heart of another wolf. It dissolved instantly, but more shadows rose to take its place.

Valerian watched them impassively.

"You are fighting your own nature," he said, voice almost bored. "The more you resist, the more you prove you are unworthy of your birthright."

Lucian snarled, "I'd rather die than be your pawn."

Valerian sighed. "A shame."

Then, with a mere gesture, the shadows swarmed.

Selene gasped as a massive wave of darkness rushed toward them, like a storm ready to consume everything in its path.

She had seconds to react.

Her fire wasn't enough. Not against this.

And then—

Something changed.

The fire in her veins flared hotter.

Not just heat—something more. Something alive.

Selene felt her magic shift, as if responding to the darkness—not as an enemy, but as something equal.

And then—it happened.

Her flames changed.

What had once been golden fire turned blue. A deep, ethereal blue that pulsed with something ancient and unfamiliar. The air around her crackled, and suddenly, the rushing wave of shadows halted.

For the first time, Valerian's expression shifted.

His silver eyes narrowed—not in amusement, not in mockery—but in recognition.

"So… it is true."

Selene barely heard him.

The blue flames in her hands danced, burning brighter, and she suddenly understood.

This wasn't just fire.

This was celestial fire.

The only thing strong enough to rival Shadowborn magic.

Lucian noticed it too. "Selene—your flames—"

Before she could answer, Valerian moved.

Faster than a blink, he appeared before her, gripping her wrist. The contact sent a shockwave through her entire body, as if every nerve was suddenly awake, alive, aware.

His eyes burned into hers.

"Who are you really, fireborn?"

Selene's heart slammed against her ribs.

Before she could speak, Lucian attacked.

His sword slashed downward, aiming for Valerian's side, but at the last second—

Valerian vanished.

Lucian's blade cut through empty air.

And then—

The king reappeared behind him.

Lucian barely had time to react before a shadow-forged dagger slashed across his shoulder.

He staggered back, biting back a growl of pain.

Selene's fire flared violently. She threw out her hand, sending a blue fireball hurtling toward Valerian.

He simply raised his arm.

The flame hit him—but instead of burning, it merely coiled around him, like it was waiting.

And that was when Selene saw it.

The mark on his wrist.

A familiar mark.

The same ancient sigil that had been burned into her skin when she was a child.

Selene's breath caught.

"No," she whispered.

Valerian's gaze softened. Just for a moment.

"I should have known," he murmured.

Selene didn't understand.

Didn't want to understand.

Lucian, despite his wound, stepped between them again. "Stay away from her."

Valerian exhaled. "It seems I have underestimated things."

With a wave of his hand, the shadows retreated. The remaining wolves vanished, their forms dissolving into mist. The room fell silent.

Selene's chest rose and fell in ragged breaths.

Lucian held his blade steady, still glaring at his father.

Draven, meanwhile, looked thoroughly entertained. "Oh, please don't stop now. This was just getting interesting."

Valerian ignored him.

His eyes were on Selene.

"You are not just fireborn," he said at last. "You are something more."

Selene swallowed hard. "What are you talking about?"

A pause.

And then—

"You are the heir to the Celestial Flame."

The air shattered.

Selene's mind reeled.

The Celestial Flame. The rarest, most powerful fire magic in existence—a direct link to the divine forces that once created the world.

Only one bloodline had ever wielded it.

The lost Celestial Lineage.

But that bloodline had been wiped out centuries ago.

Selene took a shaky step back. "That's not possible."

Valerian tilted his head, watching her with that same knowing gaze.

"And yet, here you stand."

Lucian clenched his jaw. "What does this mean?"

Valerian exhaled. "It means she was never meant to be just your ally, Lucian. She is the key to everything."

Selene's heartbeat pounded.

She had always known she was different. Always known her fire was stronger than the others in her homeland. But this—this changed everything.

And as the realization sank in, she felt it—

A shift in the air.

Something was coming.

Valerian must have sensed it too because his silver eyes darkened.

"We are out of time," he murmured.

Lucian narrowed his eyes. "For what?"

Valerian met his son's gaze.

"For the war that has already begun."

End of Chapter Thirty-Six