The figure in the cloak stood in the doorway, their presence exuding an eerie atmosphere. Ava's heart pounded as she looked at the person before her. They loomed large, their traits obscured by the darkness of their hood, but the undeniable presence around them was something Ava felt profoundly in her spirit.
A mysterious, unseen force that seemed to hint at impending betrayals on the horizon.
Cassius gripped the sword's hilt more firmly, his gaze locked on the intruder.
"Who might you be?"
His tone was steady and composed, but Ava sensed the tension in it; this was not a person to take lightly.
The figure lifted a gloved hand, a motion that appeared to silence the room. An unusual, dense quiet fell. Ava sensed a chilling shiver along her spine, her instincts alerting her that this was no ordinary foe.
This was an individual much more perilous than Lucien.
The atmosphere surrounding them appeared to dim, as if their mere existence drained the heat from the space.
"Don't rush too much, Cassius Nightborne," the figure spoke, their voice smooth and threatening.
There was harshness in their tone that ran shivers down Ava's spine, and yet, it seemed strangely familiar.
There was something about it that bothered her mind, as if it was something she had met in another life.
Or perhaps in a dream.
The figure advanced a little and, with one quick, fluid motion, retracted their hood. Ava's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the face that emerged before her.
It was a face she recognized nearly too intimately.
Her blood became icy.
A woman faced them, her alluring traits shaped by sharp angles, her lengthy hair as deep as the night sky. Nonetheless, it wasn't the woman's appeal that made Ava's heart pound with astonishment and recognition. It was the undeniable connection that sparked between them. A strange, almost magnetic bond that Ava could not explain.
"Unthinkable" Ava murmured, her voice hardly making a sound.
The woman's mouth formed a wry, understanding grin. "So you remember me, dear sister."
Ava's thoughts spun wildly. Sister? She wasn't able to remember no, it was impossible. She possessed no relatives. Or at the very least, she had thought that was accurate.
"You" Ava's voice wavered, a lump rising in her throat. "Who are you?" In what way could this be?
The woman's smile widened, and with one deliberate step forward, she entered the room, her gaze fixed on Ava.
"I am the person who has been anticipating your arrival, Ava."
For your return.
For the awakening of the bloodline that was hidden so long ago."
Cassius moved slightly to the side, his hand never leaving his sword. "What trickery is this? Explain yourself."
The woman's eyes briefly darted to Cassius before returning to Ava, now radiating a chilling, intense glare. "No tricks, Cassius Nightborne. You've been blind to the truth all this time. She is not the only heir. There is another. And I am she."
Ava's breath hitched.
The truth?
Another heir?
What was she referring to?
"You're talking nonsense," Cassius snapped, visibly becoming annoyed. "There exists no additional heir."
Just Ava.
The woman's laughter was gentle yet tinged with wickedness. "You honestly have no idea, do you?" Her voice was like freezing air, slicing through the tension in the space. Ava is not the eldest. I am. I am the true daughter of Lysandra Nightborne. The last Lycan queen."
Ava felt dizzy. Her brain couldn't completely grasp the information she was listening to. Her entire universe had just collapsed. If this woman were the rightful heir, then what would that make her?
"No," Ava murmured, her voice shaking. "No, that must be false." I am the successor. "I am the person the prophecy referred to."
The woman's face clouded over, her eyes sparking with a toxic intensity.
"The prediction was never true." An instrument to control you.
"To convince you to trust in a future that was never yours to possess."
Ava's heart raced. She sensed the heaviness of the woman's words bearing down on her chest, stifling her. Could it be possible?
Could all she had struggled for everything she had held dear be nothing but a harsh trick?
"Who are you?" Ava insisted once more, her voice firmer this time, yet the fear still lingered around her like a shadow. "Let me know what you desire."
The woman moved nearer, her face mere inches from Ava's, her breath chilling against her skin.
"I want what is mine.
The throne.
The power that was stolen from me.
You may be the 'chosen one' in the eyes of the people, but the bloodline in my bloodline runs deeper. It is mine by right."
Cassius took a step forward, his voice cold. "You are lying. Ava is the heir, the true queen of the Lycans. We will never bow to you."
The woman looked at him, her expression twisting in disdain.
"You still don't understand do you, Cassius?" she murmured.
"The crown was never intended for her." It was intended for me all along.
"Now that I have come back, the kingdom will submit to its rightful leader."
Ava's mind raced, but one thing was certain this woman was no friend. She wasn't merely another adversary; she posed a danger unlike anything they had encountered previously. And the most terrible aspect was that she had just shattered everything Ava understood about her history.
"I don't trust you," Ava replied, her tone more confident now as she maintained her position. "I've battled for this realm, and I will keep battling." "If you believe you can simply enter here and assert it, you are seriously mistaken."
The woman's smile grew wider, yet it lacked any warmth. "You are misinterpreting my words, Ava." I don't have to receive it from you. "It was never yours from the start."
Ava felt her blood simmering, yet she kept her rage under control. The woman was exploiting her fear to undermine her determination. However, Ava refused to permit it.
"No," Ava replied assertively, "You don't have the right to determine my future. "I will defend this kingdom and my people, just like my forebears did."
The woman's eyes sparkled with sinister delight. "We will observe." The conflict has only just started, Ava. "Before long, you'll realize how deeply the blood of treachery runs."
Before Ava could respond, the woman turned suddenly and walked towards the door, her cloak billowing around her. "Keep this moment in mind, Ava."
You've just made your first mistake. You should have stayed hidden. You should have stayed weak."
With that, she disappeared, departing the room saturated with the profound impact of her words. Ava remained stationary, her body shaking, and her mind racing. Her universe had just been broken apart. The reality was more intricate than she could have ever envisioned.
Cassius approached her, his gaze filled with worry. "Are you okay?"
Ava shook her head, attempting to calm her breathing. "I… I don't know. She said she said I wasn't the true heir. That she was. But I don't believe her. I can't."
Cassius's hand rested on her shoulder, providing her with stability. "We will resolve this together". However, at this moment, we need to concentrate on what lies ahead. "The fight is not finished."
Ava nodded, though her mind was a storm of uncertainty. She had fought for this throne. She had battled for her people. Yet now, all she had faith in seemed to be falling apart around her.
The woman, the genuine successor, as she asserted was out there, and the battle was far from finished. And Ava wasn't sure who she could trust anymore, not even her own blood.