The firelight in the Forbidden Court's central brazier flickered restlessly, casting wavering shadows against the jagged stone walls. Elysia stood with her back straight and chin held high, her celestial-blue eyes locked onto Draven's with unwavering determination. For once, her emotions weren't tangled in fear or confusion. She felt sure of herself, resolute. No matter how many mysteries surrounded her past or how dangerous the courts might become, she was ready to face them head-on.
Draven leaned against a towering pillar, his crimson eyes glowing faintly as he regarded her. The air between them was heavy with unspoken tensions, but there was an undercurrent of grudging respect in his expression. His dark hair, streaked with faint hints of red, hung loose around his face, adding a rugged edge to his already commanding presence. "You're certain about this?" he asked finally, his voice low and deliberate, as though testing her resolve. "Once we leave here, there's no turning back. The courts won't stop until they've claimed you, or destroyed you." Elysia didn't flinch. Her silver-white hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, catching the faint glow of the firelight and framing her face with an almost ethereal radiance. It was an understated beauty, yet undeniable, a reflection of her heritage and the strength she carried within her. "I'm not backing down," she replied firmly. "If uncovering my past is the only way to take control of my future, then I'll do whatever it takes. But I can't do this alone." Draven straightened, his imposing figure seeming even taller in the shifting light. "Then you'll stay under my protection," he said, his tone brooking no argument. "The courts are already circling, and when they sense what we're about to do, they'll come for you in force. You're not ready to face them, not yet." Elysia opened her mouth to protest, but something in his expression gave her pause. Beneath the cold calculation in his eyes, there was a flicker of something else, something almost vulnerable. He wasn't just offering his protection; he was staking his own position as an outcast hybrid prince to shield her from a world that had rejected them both. She nodded slowly. "Agreed," she said. "But I'm not just going to stand by and wait for you to fix everything. If we do this, we do it together."
A ghost of a smirk played at the corner of Draven's lips. "Fair enough," he said. "There's a place we need to go. The ruins of the Celestial Court. If you want answers, that's where we'll find them."
---
The journey to the ruins was long and arduous, taking them far from the relative safety of the Forbidden Court and into lands that pulsed with latent magic. The farther they traveled, the more Elysia felt a strange energy building in the air around them, as though the very earth remembered the history they sought to uncover. Draven led the way, his movements swift and deliberate, while Elysia followed close behind, her senses heightened by the unknown. The landscape grew more desolate as they approached their destination. Jagged cliffs loomed on either side of a narrow path, their surfaces etched with strange markings that seemed older than time itself. Wisps of mist coiled along the ground, glowing faintly with an otherworldly light. The air smelled of damp stone and ancient power, a scent that made Elysia's skin prickle.
When they finally reached the ruins, Elysia stopped in her tracks, her breath catching at the sight before her. The Celestial Court had once been a place of unimaginable beauty, but now it stood as a haunting testament to its fall. Broken columns jutted from the ground like skeletal remains, their surfaces covered in faintly glowing runes that pulsed in time with her own heartbeat. The remnants of towering arches framed a sky that seemed darker here, as though the heavens themselves mourned the court's destruction. "This is it," Draven said, his voice breaking the heavy silence. He gestured toward the heart of the ruins, where a large stone dais stood at the center of what might once have been a grand hall. "If the Celestial Court left behind any answers, we'll find them there." Elysia stepped forward, her silver-white hair glinting in the dim light as she approached the dais. Every step seemed to resonate with an unseen force, as though the ruins recognized her presence and stirred in response. The air grew heavier with each moment, charged with anticipation. When she reached the dais, Elysia hesitated for a heartbeat, her fingers hovering over its smooth, cold surface. The markings on the stone seemed to hum faintly, their glow intensifying as if urging her to touch them. She glanced back at Draven, who nodded silently, his expression unreadable. Taking a deep breath, Elysia placed her hand on the dais. The moment her skin made contact, a pulse of energy exploded outward, radiating through the ruins and beyond. The force was both exhilarating and terrifying, coursing through her like a tidal wave of power. Images flashed before her mind's eye, visions of a life she couldn't remember yet felt intrinsically connected to. A father's voice, strong and reassuring, calling her name. A mother's warning, urgent and filled with sorrow. And a court bathed in light, standing proud and untouchable before the darkness consumed it.
As the energy settled, Elysia staggered back, her breathing ragged. "What… what was that?" she asked, her voice trembling with both awe and fear. Draven's expression was grim. "A signal," he said. "That pulse of energy just announced to every court in existence that the Celestial heir has returned. They'll be coming for you, Elysia. All of them."
---
Far away, in the ethereal Fae Enclave, Queen Elira Faelan felt the pulse like a tremor in her very bones. Her violet eyes narrowed into slits as she turned to Kaelen, her golden-haired son and the prince of the Fae Court. "Go," she commanded, her voice as smooth and sharp as a blade. "Find her. Discover what she knows. And bring her to me." Kaelen bowed low, his violet eyes gleaming with mischief and ambition. "As you wish, Mother," he said, his voice carrying the weight of a promise yet to be fulfilled.
---
Back at the ruins, Elysia straightened, her celestial-blue eyes blazing with determination. "Let them come," she said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at the edges of her mind. "I'm not afraid. Not anymore." Draven regarded her for a long moment, his crimson gaze unreadable. "Brave words," he said finally. "But bravery alone won't be enough. You need to be ready, Elysia. They'll try to manipulate you, control you. You can't trust anyone—not the Fae, not the Sirens, not even the Reapers." "What about you?" she asked, her tone sharper than she intended. "Can I trust you?" Draven's lips curved into a faint, bitter smile. "I'll let you decide," he said. "But for now, trust that I'm the only one standing between you and the courts." Elysia held his gaze, her celestial-blue eyes unwavering. "Then let's make sure they don't get what they're after," she said. Her silver-white hair caught the faint glow of the ruins as she turned back toward the dais, determination etched into every line of her face.
The journey ahead would be perilous, but Elysia was no longer the uncertain girl she had been. She was the lost heir of the Celestial Court, and she would fight to reclaim her destiny, no matter the cost.