CHAPTER 14:THE KEEPER OF SECRETS

The battlefield had fallen into a stunned silence.

The flames still smoldered, casting long shadows through the Veilwood, but the fighting had ceased. Aldric's soldiers hesitated, their torches flickering as they stared at the old man who had emerged from the depths of the burning forest.

Seraphina felt an unearthly pull toward him. His silver eyes gleamed like starlight, and though his robes were tattered, there was something regal about the way he carried himself.

Who was he?

And why did he feel so familiar?

Aldric's fury burned like the cursed fire he had unleashed. His voice cut through the silence like a blade.

"You should be dead."

The old man's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Many things should be, and yet here I stand."

Seraphina shivered. There was power in his voice, ancient and unyielding.

Kael stepped closer to her, his sword still in hand. "Seraphina," he murmured, "do you know him?"

She swallowed hard. "No. But… I feel like I should."

The old man finally turned his gaze on her. "And you will."

Then he lifted his hand, and the Veilwood itself trembled.

A Name Long Forgotten

The air rippled, as if the very fabric of reality was shifting around them. The unnatural flames crackled, but they no longer spread.

Seraphina's heart pounded. "Who are you?"

The old man stepped forward. His eyes, though ageless, were filled with sorrow.

"I am called Elyndor."

The name struck Seraphina like a distant memory, something buried deep within her blood.

Elyndor's gaze softened. "And you, child… You are the last of my line."

Seraphina's breath caught. "Your line?"

Elyndor nodded. "You are not merely Aldric's daughter. Your blood carries the magic of the first keepers of the Veilwood. The ones who protected this land long before your father sought to destroy it."

Seraphina staggered back, shaking her head. "That's not possible."

But in her heart, she knew it was.

The magic she had felt awaken inside her—the whispers of the forest, the spirits calling to her—it all made sense now.

She was more than just a runaway princess.

She was part of something far older than the empire itself.

Aldric's Betrayal

Aldric laughed coldly, though there was a flicker of unease in his eyes. "You waste your breath, Elyndor. She is mine. And she will bow to me, just as the rest of this kingdom will."

Elyndor's expression darkened. "You have always sought power that was not yours to take."

Seraphina turned toward her father, her hands trembling. "You knew."

Aldric's gaze met hers, unyielding, cruel, and yet—beneath it all—a glimmer of something else.

Guilt.

"I knew," he admitted. "I knew what you were… and that's why I had to keep you under my control."

Seraphina's stomach twisted. Everything he had done—every lie, every locked door, every time he had told her she was weak—had been to keep her from discovering the truth.

Her father had feared her.

And now she understood why.

The Power Within

Elyndor turned to Seraphina. "The forest chose you because you are its last hope. Your bloodline is tied to the Veilwood's magic. It is not just power—it is a responsibility."

Seraphina's pulse quickened. She could feel it now, the energy coursing through her veins, the whispers of the land crying out for her to act.

She had spent her life running from who she was.

But now—she could feel the power calling her home.

Kael touched her shoulder. "Seraphina, whatever choice you make, I will stand with you."

She turned to him, seeing the unwavering loyalty in his eyes.

And she knew what had to be done.

Seraphina stepped forward, magic surging through her like wildfire.

"No more running."

She raised her hands—

And the Veilwood answered.

To Be Continued…