The throne rose higher.
Water poured from its sides, cascading back into the underground river as if the river itself were surrendering to it.
I couldn't move.
Nobody could.
The black throne stood before us, enormous and ancient, carved from a material that looked like stone but seemed to breathe.
Silver symbols crawled across its surface.
At the top was a crown.
Not a beautiful crown.
Not one made for royalty.
It looked like something designed to be feared.
Sofia tightened her grip around my hand.
"Rohgah."
"I see it."
"Don't go near it."
I looked at the throne.
Something inside me was pulling me toward it.
Not physically.
Something deeper.
A voice.
A memory.
A command.
SIT.
I took a step backward.
The voice became louder.
CLAIM WHAT IS YOURS.
I shook my head.
"No."
The throne trembled.
The river rose behind it.
Seraya immediately moved in front of me.
"Do not listen."
"I wasn't planning to."
Machir approached slowly.
His face had lost all its color.
"I've seen that throne before."
I turned toward him.
"When?"
"Eighteen years ago."
My heart tightened.
"You were here?"
"Yes."
Sofia looked at him.
"With our mother?"
Machir nodded.
"Seraya, Kael, and I came here the night you were separated."
I stared at the throne.
"Why?"
Machir swallowed.
"Because Kael believed the only way to protect you was to hide the throne."
I frowned.
"Hide it from whom?"
"Everyone."
A deep rumble interrupted him.
The throne began moving.
Not toward us.
Toward me.
Stone scraped against stone as it traveled across the water.
I stepped backward.
"Stop."
It stopped.
Everyone stared.
Bella whispered,
"It listens to you."
I shook my head.
"I didn't tell it to stop."
Seraya looked frightened.
"That's the problem."
The crown at the top of the throne began glowing silver.
Then a beam of light struck my chest.
I cried out.
Sofia grabbed me.
"Rohgah!"
Images flashed through my mind.
A kingdom.
Not one I recognized.
Black towers.
Silver rivers.
Creatures kneeling before a throne.
And a younger version of Kael.
He stood before the throne.
Beside him was Seraya.
They were holding hands.
Then I saw something else.
A baby.
Me.
Kael placed his hand over my forehead.
The crown appeared above us.
A voice spoke.
THE HEIR HAS BEEN BORN.
I opened my eyes.
I was back in the chamber.
"What did I see?"
Machir stared at me.
"The first ceremony."
"What ceremony?"
"The recognition of the heir."
Sofia looked confused.
"Recognized by whom?"
Machir pointed toward the throne.
"The Hollow."
I looked at it.
"So my father was its king?"
"No."
Machir shook his head.
"Kael refused the crown."
"Why?"
"Because he knew the Hollow couldn't be ruled."
I looked at the throne again.
"Then why did it choose me?"
Machir's voice lowered.
"Because you inherited the blood it recognized."
I felt sick.
Seraya stepped closer.
"Rohgah, listen to me."
I looked at her.
"The throne is a temptation."
"A temptation?"
"Yes."
"It wants me to sit."
"Yes."
"What happens if I do?"
Seraya hesitated.
"You become bound to the Hollow."
Sofia stepped in front of the throne.
"Then he won't sit."
The throne reacted.
A wave of black energy shot toward her.
I pushed her away.
The energy struck me instead.
I fell to my knees.
"Rohgah!"
Sofia rushed toward me.
The black energy surrounded my body.
I could hear the Hollow.
KING.
CLAIM.
RULE.
I closed my eyes.
"No."
The darkness tightened.
I remembered everything.
Being feared.
Being alone.
Being told I was powerful.
Being treated like I was something dangerous.
But I also remembered something else.
Sofia.
Nicole.
Ashbel.
Bella.
My mother.
The people who had stood beside me when I had nothing left.
I opened my eyes.
"I don't need your crown."
The darkness recoiled.
The throne shook.
I stood.
"I don't want your kingdom."
The black energy cracked.
"I don't want your power."
The crown shattered.
The entire chamber went silent.
Sofia stared at me.
I breathed heavily.
The throne was still standing.
But something had changed.
A crack ran down its center.
Machir whispered,
"You broke it."
I looked at the throne.
"I didn't even touch it."
Seraya smiled sadly.
"You didn't need to."
Suddenly, Vaelor appeared on the opposite side of the river.
His face was furious.
"You were supposed to sit."
I turned toward him.
"I don't follow your plans."
He lifted his hand.
Black magic exploded across the river.
Bella moved first.
"Get down!"
We ducked.
The blast hit the wall.
Stone shattered.
Nicole rushed forward.
She moved like lightning.
Vaelor disappeared.
She stopped.
"Where did he go?"
A voice answered from behind her.
"Here."
Vaelor struck her.
She flew across the room.
"Nicole!"
Ashbel raised a wall of water.
Vaelor destroyed it instantly.
Bella charged.
Her sword struck his chest.
For one second, she smiled.
Then Vaelor caught the blade.
"You are brave."
Bella pulled.
"You talk too much."
She kicked him.
He stumbled.
Ashbel sent a wave crashing into him.
Vaelor was thrown backward.
For the first time, he looked angry.
"Enough."
Darkness exploded from his body.
Everyone was thrown to the floor.
I struggled to stand.
Vaelor looked at me.
"You think rejecting the crown makes you free?"
"Yes."
"You're wrong."
He pointed toward Sofia.
"You rejected the throne."
His eyes moved to her.
"But she didn't reject the key."
Sofia's face changed.
"What does that mean?"
Vaelor smiled.
"You still carry the Hollow inside your blood."
Seraya stepped forward.
"Leave her alone."
Vaelor laughed.
"It's too late."
The symbol on Sofia's wrist began glowing.
She gasped.
"Rohgah…"
I ran toward her.
She dropped to her knees.
The silver symbol became black.
"No."
I grabbed her hand.
The moment I touched her, a vision exploded around us.
A giant door.
Sofia standing before it.
Me behind her.
The Hollow rising.
Vaelor standing beside the throne.
Then another image.
Sofia lying unconscious.
Me screaming.
The kingdoms burning.
I tore my hand away.
"What did you see?"
Sofia was shaking.
"I don't know."
Seraya looked terrified.
"You both saw it."
"What?"
"The future."
Machir stared at the river.
"No."
He walked toward the water.
"The prophecy is moving faster."
I looked at him.
"What future?"
He pointed at the throne.
"The Hollow has shown you the ending it wants."
I looked at Sofia.
"What happens?"
Seraya whispered,
"You lose her."
My chest tightened.
"No."
"That is what the Hollow wants you to believe."
I stared at my mother.
"Then what is the truth?"
Seraya looked at me.
"The future isn't fixed."
Vaelor smiled.
"But it can be."
He raised his hand.
The underground river split open.
A massive black staircase appeared beneath the water.
At the bottom stood an ancient doorway.
Vaelor stepped onto it.
"The next seal is beneath Ravenshade."
I stared.
"There are more?"
"Seven."
Machir's face fell.
"The Seven Seals."
Vaelor nodded.
"Break all seven…"
His eyes gleamed.
"And the Hollow will be free."
Sofia stepped forward.
"You won't break them."
Vaelor smiled.
"I don't have to."
He pointed at me.
"The heir will."
Then he disappeared into the darkness.
The river closed behind him.
Silence returned.
I looked at my palm.
The black mark was gone.
But a new symbol had appeared.
Seven tiny circles.
One was glowing.
Six remained dark.
Machir whispered,
"He has already broken the first."
I looked at the six remaining circles.
Then at Sofia.
"We stop him."
She nodded.
"Together."
Seraya looked at us.
Then toward the darkness where Vaelor had disappeared.
"Then we must leave."
"Where?"
Her expression became serious.
"To the Council."
I frowned.
"Why?"
"Because if Vaelor is going after the Seven Seals…"
She looked at Machir.
"We need every kingdom."
Machir nodded.
"And we need to tell them the truth."
Outside, thunder shook the supernatural world.
The war was no longer coming.
It had begun.
And somewhere beneath Ravenshade…
the second seal had started to crack.