The morning came late.
A pale light crawled through the curtains, spilling across Asher's floor. He hadn't slept. The locket still rested warm against his chest, steady now — like it had settled into a rhythm that wasn't quite his own.
Lucian hadn't returned since their conversation. The quiet he left behind wasn't peaceful. It was the kind of silence that warned of storms.
When Asher finally stepped outside, he noticed it — the world felt… different. The forest seemed to breathe, the shadows too alive, the air faintly humming like a string stretched too tight.
Something had changed when Amara's name was spoken aloud.
Something ancient had begun to listen.
Far away, deep beneath stone halls carved centuries ago, the "Council of Blood" gathered.
A tall woman in silver robes — Cassandra — stood before a long table, her crimson eyes gleaming like shards of glass. "It's confirmed," she said. "The bloodline has awakened."
Around her, murmurs spread like frost.
Victor, the Hunter once sworn to the Council's service, leaned forward with a thin smile. "The boy carries Amara's mark?"
"Yes," Cassandra replied, her tone sharp. "And he's under Lucian's protection."
The silence that followed was heavy enough to cut through.
One of the elders hissed, "He defied us once. He'll do it again."
Cassandra's expression hardened. "Then we end him before he repeats history. The boy dies with him."
The room erupted — some voices agreeing, others warning restraint.
Only one man remained quiet. Orion. His silver hair gleamed faintly in the torchlight, and his eyes, softer than the others, lingered on the map of the northern woods.
After a long pause, he said, "Killing the boy may not silence her blood. It may awaken something worse."
Cassandra glared. "You'd side with the traitor again?"
"I'd rather not bury another century of mistakes," he replied calmly.
The hall fell silent again, the decision hanging like the scent of blood in the air.
That same evening, Lucian appeared at Asher's door. His coat carried the scent of rain and smoke.
"They've felt it," he said without preamble.
"The Council?"
He nodded. "They won't wait long before sending someone. Probably Cassandra first."
Asher frowned. "Why does she hate you so much?"
Lucian's lips curved in a humorless smile. "Because once, I chose Amara over the crown she was promised."
Asher blinked. "She… loved you too?"
"Obsession isn't love," Lucian said simply.
He looked at Asher then, eyes softening slightly. "We don't have time for the past anymore. If you're staying near me, you'll need to learn how to control what's waking in your veins."
Asher hesitated. "You mean—"
"Yes," Lucian interrupted gently. "Training begins tonight."
Outside, thunder rolled in the distance. The locket pulsed once — answering the storm.
And far away, under the Council's blackened moon, Cassandra whispered to Victor,
"Find the boy before he learns to fight back."
To be continued...