******Harper
The night wind stirred softly around us, carrying the faint scent of rain and pine. I sat on a flat stone near the glowing wards of the small temple Zareth had brought me to. My wrists still ached from the ropes Kael had bound me with earlier, but that wasn't what kept me restless.
It was the questions.
So many questions spinning endlessly in my mind.
About Ravenna. About CODE. About Kael.
About me.
Zareth stood a few steps away, his long dark cloak rippling lightly in the breeze. He looked lost in thought, eyes faintly glowing silver beneath the moonlight. For a moment, he almost looked like a statue carved from shadow and light — ageless, unreadable, and… tired.
Finally, he turned to face me.
"You deserve to know the truth," he said quietly.
I swallowed. My heart thudded nervously, but I nodded. "I'm listening."
Zareth took a slow breath, his expression unreadable. "Ravenna and Seraphina… their father had an elder brother. He was a witch — like us — but different. He was blessed with the powers of the Supreme Clan and the Witch Clan combined. That made him far stronger than his younger brother, the one who would become Ravenna and Seraphina's father."
I frowned slightly, trying to keep up. "So there was a generation before Ravenna and Seraphina's father?"
"Yes," Zareth said. "And that elder brother… was my father."
I blinked in surprise. "Y-your father?"
Zareth nodded. "He passed on both his witch powers and supreme abilities to me. Meanwhile, his younger brother — Ravenna and Seraphina's father — gave birth to two daughters: the legendary witches you already know."
It took a moment to sink in before my jaw dropped. "Wait, so you're saying… you're their cousin?"
He gave a small nod. "Yes. And not just that — I was born long before either of them. I was already grown when they were born."
Something cold slithered down my spine. "Then that means you're—"
Zareth chuckled softly. "More than two hundred years old? Perhaps a little older."
I stared at him, speechless. "You're serious?"
His smile faded, his tone firm. "Don't focus on that, Harper. What matters is what came after."
I nodded slowly, trying to steady my racing thoughts as he continued.
"After the clash between Ravenna and Seraphina, I was adopted by the Supreme King. He was a man of great wisdom and power. But soon after, he had his own son — Vaelthor."
My eyes widened. "You mean Vaelthor is the Supreme King's biological son?"
"Yes," Zareth said, his gaze distant. "We grew up together, almost as brothers. But things changed when the Supreme King fell in love with a demon woman."
My stomach twisted. "Kael's mother?"
Zareth nodded slowly. "Her name was Lady Seraphine. She was breathtaking — fierce, cunning, beautiful. But she was also dangerously ambitious. The Supreme Court did not approve of their union. The demon clans despised it too. They believed a union between a demon and a supreme being was an abomination that would bring ruin."
I bit my lip, listening intently.
"Still, the Supreme King refused to let her go," Zareth continued, his voice heavy with memory. "He defied everyone for her. But Lady Seraphine didn't care that he already had a queen. She wanted the throne — the power — for herself. And so, she did the unthinkable."
I felt my blood run cold. "She killed the queen."
Zareth nodded grimly. "Yes. She murdered her in cold blood. That was when everything began to unravel. The Supreme King was blinded by love, unable to punish her properly. He made her his consort instead — a mistake that cost him everything."
I exhaled shakily. "So that's why Vaelthor hates Kael so much."
Zareth's eyes flicked to me. "Exactly. Vaelthor lost his mother because of Lady Seraphine."
For a moment, the silence between us was heavy, filled only by the whisper of wind. Then Zareth spoke again, quieter this time.
"But the worst was yet to come. It was impossible for a demon and a supreme to have a child together — unless in rare, divine cases. Their bloodlines repel each other. When Lady Seraphine became pregnant, the court suspected foul play. And they were right."
My breath caught in my throat. "You mean—"
Zareth's expression darkened. "The child she bore wasn't the Supreme King's son. She took to forbidden means — demonic rituals, dark binding magic. That child was Kael."
I froze. "Kael… is not the Supreme King's real son?"
He nodded solemnly. "Kael doesn't know. The Supreme King, despite his doubts, raised him as his own out of guilt and compassion. But Kael was never treated like a true prince. He grew up resentful, angry, desperate for recognition. He made mistakes — terrible ones. And Lady Seraphine… she fed those feelings. She told him the world hated him, that the Supremes were his enemies, that the witches wanted him dead. Slowly, she turned him into her weapon."
I felt a sharp ache in my chest. For a moment, I couldn't even speak. "So all of this… CODE, the manipulation, the chaos — it's all connected to Kael's hatred?"
"In part," Zareth said. "Lady Seraphine wanted to destroy the Supreme Realm and rule both the Demon and Witch Realms. A war broke out. I fought on the Supreme King's side. It was a massacre. Blood everywhere, death, screams. Kael got badly injured during the war, and before the King died, he made me promise one thing."
Zareth looked away, his voice quiet now. "He made me swear never to hurt Kael unless I had no other choice."
The weight in his words sank deep into me.
I sighed, my voice trembling. "So that means… you and I… are somehow related?"
Zareth's eyes softened, and for once, a faint smile tugged at his lips. "Yes. Distantly. You're descended from the younger brother — Ravenna's line — while I'm from the elder brother. You and I share blood, Harper. You're my cousin."
I blinked, overwhelmed. "This is… a lot."
He chuckled lightly. "I imagine so. But look at the bright side — you're part of one of the strongest bloodlines in existence."
I tried to smile back, weakly. "That's comforting, I guess."
He tilted his head, amusement glinting in his eyes. "You know, the only person powerful enough to truly challenge me was Ravenna herself. And now that her powers rest in you… perhaps one day, we could have a little fun."
I couldn't help a soft laugh escaping me. "Fun? You mean sparring, right?"
He grinned faintly. "Something like that."
I arched an eyebrow. "Not even Kael could defeat you?"
Zareth's smile turned sharp. "No one could. Except Ravenna. Her darkness was… unique."
I exhaled deeply, leaning back slightly. "It must be chaos over there right now."
Zareth's expression changed instantly — from calm to serious. He turned toward me abruptly. "Speaking of chaos… there's something I must do for you, Harper. Since you're my cousin, it's my duty to protect you."
Before I could ask what he meant, he stepped forward, raised his hand, and muttered a short incantation under his breath.
A faint circle of light appeared above my chest, then sank into my body. A sharp pain spread through me, making me gasp. My vision flickered as my veins glowed faintly black and red.
"Zareth—what are you—!"
He caught my shoulder gently. "Easy. It'll sting for a moment."
The light faded, leaving me trembling slightly.
Zareth's tone was calm but firm. "I've sealed the powers of Ravenna inside you temporarily. It's the only way to stop Kael from using them against you. Her energy is too volatile right now."
I frowned. "What do you mean? You're saying this isn't over?"
He looked at me, a deep shadow passing over his face. "It's definitely not the end, Harper. But there's a bright side — you carry not only Ravenna's dark magic but also Seraphina's pure magic. Two opposing forces in one vessel."
I blinked. "Pure magic…?"
Zareth nodded. "Seraphina's magic flows through you as well. It's light — healing, creation, balance. Unlike Ravenna's, which is chaos and destruction. You have both."
My mind spun. "That sounds… impossible."
Zareth smiled faintly. "You'd be surprised what our bloodlines are capable of."
I was about to ask what he meant by not the end when a sudden gust of wind blasted through the clearing.
A violent force slammed into the ground nearby, scattering dirt and light. I flinched back, shielding my face. When I looked up — my heart froze.
Kael.
He stood a few feet away, his white coat shredded and stained with blood. His eyes — those cold, merciless eyes — glowed faintly red.
"Kael…" I whispered, disbelief clawing through me.
Before I could react, another blur of motion crashed into the scene.
"Stay away from her!"
Ellis.
She landed hard in front of me, her robes torn and bloody, her breath ragged. She raised one trembling arm, power sparking wildly around her.
Kael smirked, his expression twisted.
Ellis turned her head slightly toward me, her voice shaking. "I'll never… allow you to harm my daughter."
My heart stopped.
Her words echoed in my mind — my daughter.
"W-what?" I stammered, frozen. "Your… daughter? Ellis, what are you talking about?"
She looked at me, her eyes brimming with tears — pain and guilt swirling within them. But before she could speak—
Kael moved.
He raised his hand, muttering a spell under his breath. A surge of crimson energy exploded from his palm, slamming into Ellis's chest.
"NO!" I screamed as she crumpled to the ground, motionless.
"ELLIS!"
I turned sharply — only to see Zareth fall next, his body hitting the ground with a dull thud.
My throat tightened. "No, no, no—"
Kael chuckled lowly, his voice dark and heavy. He wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand, his crimson eyes gleaming.
"If I can't use your blood, Harper…" he said, his tone dripping with cruel amusement. "Then it'll be fun to… tease the witches instead."
A cold shiver raced down my spine as his laughter echoed through the clearing — deep, hollow, and merciless — while the world around me seemed to crack open once again.