CHAPTER 16

The Ruins of Fate Awakening in the Ashes

A crushing silence settled over Lyra before her senses slowly returned.

Her body was cold, her limbs heavy as if she had been submerged in darkness for an eternity. The scent of ash and stone filled the air. Somewhere in the distance, the faint sound of crackling fire reached her ears.

She forced her eyes open.

The palace was gone.

The once-grand hall where she had stood only moments ago lay in ruins, reduced to a graveyard of shattered marble and broken pillars. Faint embers danced in the air, carried by the wind. The celestial throne—her throne—was nothing more than a cracked pedestal, glowing faintly with dying magic.

She pushed herself up, her hands grazing over the rubble. A sharp pain shot through her arm. The celestial mark was different. The once-golden symbol had darkened, its edges tinged with deep silver.

Something had changed.

But what?

A groan nearby snapped her from her thoughts.

Lyra spun around—and found Alden half-buried under fallen stone.

"Alden!" she gasped, scrambling toward him.

She grabbed his arm, using all her strength to pull him free. He coughed, his face covered in dust and streaks of blood, but his blue eyes flickered open.

"You're alive," he rasped.

Lyra swallowed back the emotions rising in her throat. "I thought I lost you."

Alden grunted as he sat up. "You almost did. What happened?"

Lyra's gaze drifted to the shattered remains of the throne. The weight of her choice pressed against her chest like a vice.

"I… I made my decision," she whispered.

Alden's eyes darkened. "Then where is Selene?"

Lyra's breath caught.

Where was she?

The Shadows That Linger

A sudden gust of wind howled through the ruins, carrying with it a faint whisper. Lyra froze, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her dagger.

The Shadow born.

They were still here.

Alden noticed her tension and reached for his blade. "We need to move. Now."

Lyra nodded. Together, they picked their way through the rubble, searching for Kael, Eryx, and the others.

They found Kael first, unconscious but breathing. His robes were torn, his magic still crackling faintly around his fingertips. Lyra placed a hand on his chest, whispering a healing incantation.

His eyes fluttered open, wild and full of fear.

"The veil… it's broken," he rasped.

Lyra's blood ran cold.

The veil—the celestial barrier that separated Eldoris from the forgotten realms—was no longer whole.

Which meant… something had gotten through.

A heavy silence fell between them before Alden spoke. "Then we need to find out what came through."

Lyra's mark pulsed painfully.

Something was watching them.

A Presence in the Dark

A faint sound—a whisper of movement—echoed through the ruins.

Lyra's breath hitched. She turned sharply, her eyes scanning the broken pillars and crumbling staircases.

Then—a voice, smooth as silk.

"You survived."

Eryx.

He emerged from the shadows, his silver eyes gleaming unnaturally in the dim light. His cloak was untouched by dust or blood, as if the destruction had not touched him at all.

Alden immediately stepped in front of Lyra, blade drawn. "Where is Selene?"

Eryx tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering across his face. "Gone."

Lyra stiffened.

Gone?

Her heart pounded. "What do you mean?"

Eryx took a slow step forward, his presence too calm, too calculated. "When the throne shattered, the magic inside it did not simply vanish." His gaze flickered to Lyra's arm. "It found a new vessel."

The mark on her skin burned.

Realization struck like a thunderclap.

The celestial magic—the power of the throne—was now inside her.

And Selene…

Lyra shook her head. "No. That's not possible."

Eryx's lips curled into a slow, knowing smile.

"Tell me, Princess," he murmured. "Do you hear her?"

Lyra's pulse skipped.

A faint whisper curled at the edge of her mind—a voice, distant yet familiar.

Lyra…

She staggered back, her breath quickening.

Selene wasn't dead.

She was inside her.

A Destiny Rewritten

Kael gripped Lyra's arm; his gaze full of urgency. "This magic is too powerful for one person to contain. We need to find a way to—"

"I can handle it," Lyra cut in, her voice steel.

Eryx watched her closely, his expression unreadable. "Can you?"

Lyra met his gaze, determination settling in her chest.

The kingdom was in ruins. The veil was broken. Selene's consciousness was now a part of her.

And beyond the shattered palace walls, something darker stirred.

The war was far from over.

It had only just begun.