The world solidified around me in a rush of cold air. My breath left my lungs as the shadows peeled away, revealing a realm unlike anything I had seen before. Gone were the festival lights and warm lanterns of Ebonvale. Here, the sky stretched endlessly in shades of deep violet, streaked with silver constellations that pulsed like living veins.
Beneath my feet, black stone glimmered, carved with ancient symbols that hummed faintly. Towering spires rose in the distance, their edges sharp as blades, their surfaces wrapped in smoke that moved like it was alive.
The Shadow Court.
I swallowed hard.
Raven stepped forward first. His presence cut through the darkness like a command. He looked back at me, his eyes reflecting the strange starlight.
"You are safe here," he said calmly.
Safe. I did not feel safe. Not with my heart pounding this violently. Not with his brothers watching me like I was prey and salvation all at once.
Draven circled me slowly, his pale hair swaying with the unnatural wind. His eyes were unreadable. Cold. Studying every part of me.
"The bond stabilizes," he murmured. "She is responding to the realm."
I had no idea what that meant.
Malek stood closest, his grip still firm around my wrist. He had not let go since the festival. His touch burned through my skin, sending shivers up my arm. When he finally released me, the absence felt startling.
I rubbed my wrist, trying to steady my breathing. "Why am I here," I whispered. "Why me. I am no one special. My sister is the one the kingdom cherishes. The Moon Oracle never saw anything in me."
Raven moved to stand in front of me. The shadows around him shifted like wings.
"Your sister was never meant for us."
His words hit me harder than I expected.
Draven spoke next, voice soft but unyielding. "The Oracle in your kingdom only sees what she is allowed to see. The bond between us and you is older than her visions."
Malek's gaze swept over me slowly. "You feel it. Do not deny it."
A heat curled low in my stomach. The bond. That strange pull. That tremor in my chest whenever they came near.
I hated that he was right.
I took a small step back, needing space to think. "My sister will never forgive me for this."
Raven's jaw tightened slightly. "Your sister's feelings are not your burden."
He did not know Seraphine. He did not know how far she would go to get what she wanted.
Malek must have sensed my fear because he stepped closer, his voice dropping. "Whatever threats she poses will be dealt with."
Dealt with. The way he said it made my skin prickle.
I shifted my gaze to the breathtaking but dangerous landscape. "What happens now."
Draven gestured to the dark palace ahead, its structure rising like obsidian carved from the night sky. "Now you learn who you are."
I frowned. "I know who I am."
Raven shook his head slightly. "You know who you were told to be. That is not the same."
Malek moved ahead to lead the way. The shadows parted obediently for him.
"Come," he said. "There is much for you to see."
I hesitated until Raven offered his hand. He did not touch me. Did not force me. Just held it there, steady.
My fingers trembled as I placed my hand in his. A warm pulse shot through me. For a moment, the air between us felt too charged, too intimate. Raven's eyes darkened slightly, as if he felt it too.
We walked.
The palace gates towered above us, carved with ancient runes and coiling shadow-creatures. As we approached, the gates opened slowly with a deep groan, revealing a grand hall lit by floating spheres of silver flame.
The air smelled of midnight and old magic.
Creatures moved in the corners of the hall. Some looked human. Others did not. They bowed deeply as the princes passed.
And they stared at me.
Whispers followed.
"The Chosen."
"She is the one."
"She does not look like a threat."
"She is fragile. The princes must strengthen her."
Heat rose to my cheeks. I tried to ignore the murmurs, but my steps faltered.
Raven squeezed my hand gently before letting go. "Do not pay attention to them."
"It is difficult not to," I whispered.
Draven approached with a calm expression. "Their curiosity means nothing. Your significance does not depend on their approval."
Malek led us into a chamber draped in velvet shadows, lit only by faint blue fire along the walls. The throne room.
Three thrones sat at the far end. Blackstone. Silversteel. Bloodstone. One for each prince.
But a fourth seat sat before them.
Smaller. Empty.
My heart thudded. "What is that."
Raven's voice was quiet. "Your place."
I blinked at him in disbelief. "I am not royalty. I am not powerful. I am not even wanted in my own kingdom."
Draven's eyes softened just a fraction. "Power does not come from birth. It comes from destiny."
Malek took a step toward me. "You are our fated mate. You complete the triad. Without you, our powers remain fractured."
That word again. Mate.
I wrapped my arms around myself. "I never asked for this."
Raven stepped closer, his voice calm but firm. "Neither did we. Fate rarely asks permission."
Draven finally approached the small throne, brushing his fingers along the back of it. "The moment you entered the Shadow Realm, the bond deepened. You will feel things more intensely. Our emotions. Our power. Even our desires."
His words sent heat crawling up my neck.
Malek's voice dropped, rough and far too steady. "And we will feel yours."
My heart thudded loudly enough that I was sure they could hear it.
Raven watched me closely. "You are overwhelmed."
"Yes." The word cracked from my throat.
Draven nodded. "Then we will give you time. But know this. The bond will continue to grow. Fighting it will only make it hurt."
Malek's eyes locked on mine. "Accept it, little Lyria. Accept us. And this realm will bow at your feet."
I took a shaky breath.
I did not trust them.
I did not trust myself.
I did not trust any of this.
But something inside me responded to their presence. Something ancient. Something I could not name.
I lowered my gaze, trying to steady myself.
Raven stepped closer, his voice a whisper. "We will not harm you."
Draven added, "We protect what is ours."
And Malek finished, "And you are ours."
The bond pulsed warm through my chest, answering them before I could.
And I realized with a sinking heart that nothing in my life would ever be the same.