The vision shattered like glass against Nyra's skin.
She collapsed against the altar in the Cave of Echoes, her breath ragged, claws still extended. The Moonshade Spirit hovered, her form flickering like a candle before a storm.
"They knew…" Nyra whispered, chest heaving. "The Council. My—my own mother…"
"You were never meant to rise," the Spirit replied softly. "You were born marked—for greatness, yes, but also for fear. The Elders chose Kael's reign. You were… inconvenient."
Nyra clenched her fists, rage curling in her gut like a serpent.
"So they sacrificed me," she spat. "For what? Power? Loyalty?"
"For control," the Spirit said. "They feared what you would become."
"Well, now they'll see it."
Magic rippled through her bones, a wave of ancient fury that cracked the altar beneath her knees. She stood slowly, her silhouette framed by the glow of the spirit flames.
"I won't just return," she said coldly. "I'll unravel everything they've built."
"But vengeance comes at a cost," the Spirit warned.
Nyra turned, her smile like a blade. "Then I'll pay in blood."
⸻
Elsewhere – The Nightveil Manor
Kael stood alone in the war room, hands gripping the edge of the map table. The border patrols were increasing. Wards were being recast. Every precaution in place.
And yet… he still felt it.
That gnawing, twisting presence in his chest.
The bond.
She was alive.
And worse, she was angry.
Jaren entered quietly. "Lorien hasn't reported back. We lost contact two hours ago."
Kael swore under his breath.
"She's faster than we thought," Jaren added. "And more powerful."
Kael looked up, his eyes glowing faintly. "You think I don't know what I did?"
"I think you don't know who you betrayed."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Kael whispered, "I never meant for it to go that far."
Jaren scoffed. "Tell her that… if you survive."
⸻
The Vale Family Manor – Secret Passage
Nyra's feet barely touched the ground as she moved through the hidden corridor beneath her childhood home. She had sworn never to return here—but tonight, she wasn't a daughter.
She was a reckoning.
She slid into the family library undetected. Shelves still lined with old spellbooks, tomes her mother claimed were too dangerous for a future Luna.
She scanned the shelves quickly. The spirit had shown her flashes—a book, bound in silverleaf, hidden behind a false wall.
She found it.
"Bloodlines of the Moonmarked."
She flipped it open, scanning rapidly. And then—there it was. Her family's sigil. A bloodline tied not only to the Moon Spirits—but also to an ancient power that predated the Alpha line.
The Moonborne.
She wasn't just Kael's equal.
She was always meant to surpass him.
"No wonder they buried me," she muttered.
Then a voice behind her broke the silence.
"You shouldn't be here."
Nyra turned slowly.
Her mother. Lady Evelyne Vale.
Still elegant, still cold. Wrapped in violet silks and guiltless pride.
"You knew," Nyra said, voice trembling with rage. "You let them send me away."
Evelyne's eyes narrowed. "I saved you."
Nyra laughed bitterly. "Saved me? You had Kael break the bond. You let them bind me in Bloodfang like a political hostage."
"You were becoming dangerous."
"I was becoming powerful!" Nyra screamed. "And you clipped my wings!"
"You were never meant to rule," her mother hissed. "You were meant to serve the one who would. That's how peace is kept. Through sacrifice."
Nyra stepped closer, eyes glowing red-gold.
"Then let's see how peace holds when I burn everything down."
She raised her hand—and the ground beneath the manor cracked with rising magic.
⸻
Meanwhile – The Council Hall
Elder Marek slammed his staff into the ground. "She's returned."
"How do you know?" asked another.
"She's awakened the Vale bloodline. The ancestral seal is broken."
The Elders looked at one another, panic flashing in their eyes.
"She must be stopped before she exposes the truth."
Marek nodded grimly. "Call the Reapers."
⸻
Back at the Vale Manor – Moments Later
The ceiling shook. The air crackled.
Evelyne staggered back as the walls of the manor began to split open, ancient magic releasing after years of being caged.
"Nyra, please," she begged now, voice trembling. "You don't know what you're doing."
Nyra's gaze was calm. Too calm.
"I'm reclaiming my legacy."
Suddenly, the floor caved in beneath them, and Nyra vanished into the smoke.
⸻
****Cliffhanger:****
In the shadows of the crumbling estate, a pair of obsidian eyes watched her escape. Not Kael. Not Lorien.
Someone worse.
"Let the little Alpha burn," the figure whispered. "When she's done, I'll claim the ashes."