Chapter 57

Chapter 57 – Of Chains and Chosen Ones

"Some fates are written in blood. Others, we carve with our own teeth."

The Night Court had no king.

No queen sat upon its throne.

And yet, from the ashes of prophecy, a kingdom was rising—untamed, dangerous, and shaped not by bloodline, but by will.

Selene had shattered the crown. Now the world asked: what would she build in its place?

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The hall was filled with symbols of old empires—ruined tapestries, faded scrolls, blades too rusted to kill. But Selene didn't care for their histories. She stood at the center with Valerian at her side, Nova guarding the gate, and Bea pacing behind them, her eyes flashing with the fury of a woman who had watched too many empires fall on top of girls like Selene.

"Today," Selene began, her voice clear, "we burn what remains of the chains."

There was a ritual planned—one no court had ever dared to attempt.

A calling.

To summon the First Ones—the forgotten ancestors of omegas and vampires both. Not to worship, but to confront them.

Valerian shifted uneasily. "They aren't known to be merciful."

"I'm not known to be obedient," Selene replied, her silver gaze locked on the sigils she had painted on the marble floor in her own blood.

Bea stepped forward. "You sure about this?"

"Chains," Selene said, "aren't broken by being gentle."

She placed her palm to the center rune. Her blood hissed against it like fire meeting oil.

A scream tore through the air—ancient, feminine, inhuman.

The room trembled.

And then… silence.

Until the shadows in the room moved.

And from them emerged a shape—a woman with no face, draped in robes of mist, her voice echoing from every wall.

"Why have you summoned us, omega-born?"

Selene didn't kneel.

"I came to give you back your curse."

The specter laughed—a sound like bones cracking.

"You carry it willingly. The mark is chosen, not forced."

"Lies," Valerian growled, stepping forward.

But the First One ignored him.

"You rose because fate wanted you to. Because your suffering sharpened you."

Selene took a breath.

Then she stepped into the circle, skin glowing, every line of her body trembling with raw, shifting power.

"I rose because I refused to die."

"You want to be free?" the spirit hissed. "Then free them all."

And just like that, the floor cracked.

Every rune shattered.

Power exploded from Selene's body, blinding light pulsing like a heartbeat—and in that moment, across distant lands and hidden cities, every omega bond snapped.

Every cursed chain broke.

Every mark carved into the necks of the forgotten vanished.

Freedom didn't come with a crown.

It came with pain. With choice. With fire.

Selene fell to her knees, panting, body flickering with what was left of the ancient magic she had just burned through.

Valerian caught her before she collapsed.

"You did it," he whispered.

"No," she breathed. "We did."

Bea stood in the doorway, her eyes filled with unshed tears, the light of a new age glinting off her blade.

Nova smiled faintly. "They'll write poems about this."

"No," Selene murmured, barely able to speak. "They'll write warnings."

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Far away, across the sea of stars…

In a hidden temple, where no one had prayed in centuries, a child opened her eyes.

Born of no house.

Unmarked by fate.

And yet her eyes… glowed silver.

"Mom?" she whispered to the shadows. "Who is Selene?"

The answer came from the wind.

"The one who broke the curse."

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End of Chapter 57 — Next: Chapter 58, "The Bone Orchard 💛