The First Major Twist

The realization hit Lira like a blow to the chest.

The candlelight flickered against the worn pages of the ancient book, its glow barely piercing the heavy silence that had settled over the room. Lira's hands trembled as she traced the inked symbols, her breath shallow. Her pulse roared in her ears, drowning out the distant hum of the city beyond the walls of Riven's hidden sanctuary.

It didn't make sense. And yet, it did. Too much.

The murders weren't random. They were part of a pattern. A ritual. A careful, deliberate act designed to awaken the artifact. The people who had died—every single one—hadn't just been victims. They had been sacrifices.

Her stomach twisted painfully as her gaze landed on the last illustration in the sequence—a lone figure standing before the artifact, their body encircled by strange markings. A conduit. A catalyst.

A final offering.

Lira's fingers curled into a fist before she could stop them. The ink on the page seemed to shift under her stare, her reflection flashing in the candlelit silver of the nearby mirror.

It wasn't just anyone at the center of this.

It was her.

"Lira."

Riven's voice was calm, steady—but she heard the edge beneath it. Like he knew exactly what she was thinking.

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to look up at him. "I'm the last piece," she whispered. "They need me to complete the ritual."

A muscle in Riven's jaw tensed, but he didn't argue. He didn't tell her she was wrong. He didn't even hesitate.

That, more than anything, made her stomach drop.

He knew.

"You knew about this." The accusation left her lips before she could stop it, sharper than she intended.

Riven exhaled, running a hand through his dark hair. "I suspected."

Lira's anger flared. She shot to her feet, shoving the book toward him. "And you didn't think to tell me?"

Riven met her glare without flinching. "I didn't have proof."

"That's a pathetic excuse."

"It's the truth." His golden eyes burned with something unreadable. "What would you have done if I'd told you before we found this? Panicked? Started seeing threats in every shadow? Run?"

She hated that she didn't know the answer.

A bitter laugh escaped her. "So, what, you decided to keep me in the dark for my good? How noble of you."

Riven's expression darkened. He set the book aside and stepped closer. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to believe it." His voice was quieter now, but it carried the weight of something heavy. "I didn't want this to be real."

Lira opened her mouth to argue—but then his words sank in.

He hadn't just been protecting her. He had been trying to deny the truth for himself.

She took a slow breath, her fury dimming into something colder. "Why me?" she asked. "Why am I the one they need?"

Riven hesitated. For the first time, he looked away.

That single motion sent ice trickling down her spine.

She had expected him to give her an answer. But the fact that he hesitated meant he already knew it. And it wasn't something she was going to like.

Her stomach clenched. "Riven."

He exhaled sharply before turning back to her, his gaze heavy. "It's your bloodline, Lira."

The room spun for a moment.

"My—" She stopped, unable to say the words aloud. She didn't have to. She already knew.

Her father.

The pieces clicked into place with dizzying speed.

Her father had vanished years ago, leaving nothing but questions in his wake. She had spent half her life trying to uncover the truth of what had happened to him. But every lead, every scrap of information, had led her to a dead end.

Until now.

He hadn't been studying the Veil.

He had been trying to stop this ritual from happening.

And he had failed.

The bile in her throat burned. Her knees felt weak.

She had grown up believing her father had been a scholar, a researcher fascinated by the mysteries of the Veil. But now she saw the truth—he had been a protector, and his work had cost him his life. And now, they had set their sights on her.

She forced herself to meet Riven's gaze. "Who's behind this?"

His golden eyes flickered. "The ones who want to break the Veil." His voice was lower now, almost reluctant. "And if they get to you first, they'll succeed."

Lira clenched her fists, trying to steady herself. Her entire world had just shifted beneath her feet, but she couldn't afford to freeze. She couldn't afford to give in to the panic clawing at her ribs.

She had spent years chasing answers.

Now she had them.

And for the first time, she wasn't the hunter. She was the prey.

She closed her eyes briefly, drawing in a slow breath. When she opened them again, her mind was clearer. Sharpened.

She wasn't about to let herself be sacrificed.

She met Riven's gaze with steel in her voice. "Then we stop them."

For a long moment, he didn't say anything. Then, slowly, the corner of his mouth curled into a smirk—not the arrogant, teasing one she had come to know, but something darker.

Something deadly.

"Now you're talking."

The hunt had begun.

Outside, the wind howled through the alleyways, carrying whispers of something ancient stirring. The city wasn't safe—not anymore. And the worst part? It never had been. Not for people like her.

Riven grabbed his coat, his movements smooth, practiced. "We'll need to move fast. If they know you've figured this out, they won't wait."

Lira inhaled deeply, forcing the fear down. It didn't matter how terrifying this was. She would fight.

And she would win.