Chapter 34:The Soul That Shouldn’t Have Returned

The night sky above the Witches' Domain shimmered with silver mist, like magic itself had come alive.

Every tree whispered secrets. The wind carried more than just the scent of moss and earth—it carried memories. Bloodlines. Power long buried.

A portal snapped open near the Obsidian Stones.

Salem, high witch and cousin to the Queen, stepped out. Her dark blue cloak swept the ground as she moved quickly through the enchanted forest. She hadn't come here in moons—not since the dreams started.

But last night was different.

A mirror cracked.

A girl with two-colored eyes screamed.

A Lycan's voice whispered behind her: "She's beginning to remember."

Salem didn't slow down.

Inside the sacred hall, violet flames burned in still air. Runes glowed on every wall. Selene stood at the Moon Altar, her hands raised mid-ritual. Queen Vantessa sat on her obsidian throne, eyes shut—but her voice rang out.

"Welcome, Salem."

Salem nodded. "We need to talk. It's about Aster, The human child that Lady Vienna adopted."

Selene lowered her arms. "What about her, we cast her out when Lady Vienna died."

Vantessa opened her stormy eyes. "She died long ago. some says the council..some from a werewolf attack."

"She's did not," Salem said, her tone grave. "She's changing. And I believe she was never just human."

They sat around the crescent table. Salem waved her hand, drawing a silence rune to block prying ears.

"You remember her, don't you?" she asked. "Vienna's human ward who vanished after her death."

"She had the gift," Selene murmured. "But it was hidden."

"It was more than that," Salem said tightly. "She had blackfire. I saw it in a dream when she was still a girl."

Vantessa sat forward. "Vampire blood?"

Salem nodded. "I believe she's something than that. Vienna cloaked her, made her forget. But now… she's back. As Maika. Valus's daughter."

"A vampire?" Selene whispered in shock.

"Not just that," Salem said. "She carries the scent. Old blood. Black magic. I sensed it the moment I removed her anklet."

Vantessa stood abruptly. Even the flames flickered.

"The blood of Carellos shouldn't exist, how can she have it?" the Queen hissed. "Especially not in a woman. That power is too unstable."

Salem's voice dropped. "Which is why I came. If she remembers who she is… if she unlocks that magic—"

"She could destroy us all," Vantessa finished.

Selene crossed her arms. "But she's fragile. She's grieving. She just lost someone."

"Her doula, Genie," Salem said. "She vanished. I think someone took her… to keep Maika from the truth."

Vantessa summoned an orb with a flick of her fingers. Inside it, Maika's image flickered—curled on her bed, whispering Genie's name in her sleep.

"She's on the edge," Selene said softly.

"We have to be careful," Salem warned. "If we push her too hard—"

"She'll break," Selene said.

"Or burn," Vantessa added.

Sabrah, who had been silent until now, spoke. "Do you think… this has something to do with Carl?"

Salem's expression darkened.

"Yes."

The name made the room fall into heavy silence.

"The Lycan Alpha?" Vantessa's voice was sharp.

Salem nodded. "He's hiding something. He is always on her, yes. But he knows more than he's telling."

Selene hesitated. "Do you think he knows about the child?"

Salem turned to her sharply. "What child?"

Selene looked away. "There were rumors. That Aster… gave birth before she disappeared. Sired by Carl"

Salem stood. "A child of lycan… vampire… and black witch blood?"

Vantessa's eyes widened. "That kind of child would be more than a hybrid. He'd be a nexus."

"Exactly," Salem said. "A link to all bloodlines."

"And a threat to every faction," Vantessa finished.

Salem clenched her fists. "We have to find him."

"But first," Vantessa said, her voice like thunder, "Maika must remember who she is. I need to interrogate someone."

The moon loomed low over the mountains, casting silver light upon the obsidian spires of the Vampire Kingdom. The black stone of Castle Umbra shimmered under the stars as Queen Vantessa, sovereign of the witches, arrived unannounced at its gates. Her violet cloak billowed in the chill wind as her guards remained at the threshold, leaving her to ascend the grand staircase alone.

Inside the palace, the scent of ancient incense and iron blood filled the air. Crimson banners bearing the sigil of House Vellaria draped from the ceilings. At the far end of the throne room, seated in an armchair carved from moonstone and bone, was Lord Valus himself.

His pale gaze lifted, his expression unreadable.

"Vantessa," he said coolly. "You come in person. That is rare."

"We need to speak," she said, her voice edged with the weight of many unspoken things. "Now."

Valus stood, his long coat trailing behind him as he descended the dais. "You have my attention."

She didn't sit. "I want to speak about Vienna."

The name cut through the silence like a dagger.

Valus's face remained composed, but a flicker—so brief it could have been imagined—crossed his features. A subtle tightening of the jaw. A blink longer than necessary.

"She's been gone for decades," he said. "What of her?"

"You loved her," Vantessa said, almost softly. "Even when she walked away from the coven. Even when she bore the disgrace of adopting a human."

Valus's eyes darkened. "I never denied my feelings for her."

"And this human child," Vantessa continued. "Aster. Do you remember her?"

Valus turned from her then, walking toward the balcony, the night breeze catching his silver hair. "Why do you ask?"

"She's alive," Vantessa said. "In a sense… it has returned. Reborn. Hidden."

Valus gripped the stone railing. "And?"

"She is Maika. Your daughter."

Valus froze.. His secret is slowly being folded.

"My cousin met her," Vantessa continued. "she felt the blood within her. Not just vampire. Not just something mortal. But something older. Witch blood."

Valus said nothing.

"You knew," Vantessa pressed. "Didn't you?"

Still, he said nothing.

"I asked you once before," she said, stepping closer, "years ago, after Vienna died—if she had been pregnant . You said nothing. you lied."

Silence stretched between them, as still and heavy as the air before a storm.

Then, finally, Valus spoke.

"She didn't just adopt Aster," he said quietly. "She is her daughter. And Malko. Merrine only carried and birthed them but they are Vienna's"

Vantessa's breath caught. "Twins."

"Yes," he said, voice low with the weight of decades. "She hid it from the world. From the witches. From the vampires. Only I and a handful of trusted souls knew."

"But why? Why hide them?"

"They are not purebloods," he said, turning back to her. His eyes, usually cold and commanding, now shimmered with something deeper—something vulnerable. "They are born of witch and vampire. Half of each. In a world that would have destroyed them for it."

Vantessa sat then, too stunned to stand. "All this time…"

"She feared what the Council would do," Valus went on. "Feared they would take the children, use them, dissect them for their blood. She cloaked Maika with powerful spells. Vienna raised her in secret for a time. When the curse of the twins came she reverse the spell. I... l sealed their witch power."

"That anklet," Vantessa realized. "On Maika's leg."

"A suppressant," Valus confirmed. "To keep her power quiet. To protect her… and the truth."

"And Malko?"

"He was not as affected as Maika in mind. He never questioned the past. Never felt the fractures Maika did. But the blood is in both of them. Magic and eternity, intertwined."

Vantessa's mind spun with the implications. "You've lied to your kingdom. To the Court. To your enemies. And to your children."

Valus bowed his head. "I had to. If the world knew what they were… they would never be safe."

"And now?" Vantessa asked. "Now that Maika's memories stir, and her power returns?"

Valus's face was shadowed, etched with regret. "Now, I fear, it may be too late."

There was a long pause before Vantessa spoke again, her voice heavy. "Why trusted this truth to me now?"

"Because you already know," he said. "And because I trust you more than the Court. More than the elders. If Maika remembers everything… if she embraces her bloodline… I need someone to protect her. Someone who won't exploit her."

"And you expect me to keep this secret?"

"Yes," he said simply. "For their safety. For what's left of Vienna's legacy."

Vantessa rose, her eyes fierce. "I am not your pawn, Valus. But I loved Vienna as my sister. And I know what the world would do to your children if the truth spread. So I will keep your secret. For now."

Valus inclined his head. "Thank you."

"But if Maika comes to me," she added, "and asks for the truth—I will not lie."

He met her gaze. "Fair enough."

Vantessa stepped back toward the doors. "We will need to prepare, Valus. If word of the twins' true heritage spreads… the balance of power between our realms may shift."

"I know," Valus said. "And if that day comes… we stand together."

For a moment, the old alliance between witch and vampire flickered anew—born not from politics, but from love, regret, and shared secrets.

And in the darkness of Castle Umbra, two rulers stood united… not just in power, but in fear of what the future might reveal.