"Machir."
The name escaped my mouth.
My father stood among Vaelor's prisoners.
He looked different.
Older.
Exhausted.
Blood covered one side of his face.
But he was alive.
Sofia stared at him.
"Why is he here?"
Seraya's expression became unreadable.
Vaelor placed a hand on Machir's shoulder.
"Ask him."
I stepped toward the river.
"Dad!"
Machir looked at me.
His eyes widened.
"Rohgah."
"Are you hurt?"
He shook his head.
"Don't come closer."
Vaelor smiled.
"He's worried about you."
I glared at him.
"Let him go."
"You first."
"No."
Vaelor's expression hardened.
"You still think you have choices."
Machir suddenly laughed.
Vaelor looked at him.
"What?"
Machir's smile was weak.
"You never understood my son."
Vaelor's face darkened.
"You erased his memories."
"To save him."
"You sealed his power."
"To save him."
"You separated him from his sister."
Machir looked at Sofia.
"To save both of them."
Vaelor's eyes narrowed.
"And now look where your protection brought them."
Machir looked at me.
"Rohgah…"
I could barely speak.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
He lowered his head.
"I was afraid."
"Of me?"
"Of what would happen if you remembered."
"You knew everything."
"Yes."
"You knew Sofia was my sister."
"Yes."
"You knew Mom was alive."
Machir looked at Seraya.
"I suspected."
Sofia stepped forward.
"You lied to us."
Machir's eyes filled with regret.
"I did."
"You let me believe my mother was dead."
"I had no choice."
"You always say that!"
Her voice broke.
"You made every decision for us!"
Machir looked devastated.
"I know."
"Do you?"
Sofia wiped her tears.
"You took my brother."
"I saved him."
"You took my childhood."
"I saved your life."
"You don't get to call that saving!"
Silence.
Machir couldn't answer.
Seraya stepped toward Sofia.
"Liora…"
Sofia turned.
"No, Mom."
Her voice softened.
"I love you."
Seraya froze.
"But I'm tired of being protected by lies."
I felt something tighten in my chest.
She was right.
All of them had tried to protect us.
And all their secrets had nearly destroyed us.
I looked at Machir.
"What happens now?"
He stared at my hands.
"You surrendered your power."
"Yes."
"And yet…"
He looked at Sofia.
"The power survived."
I nodded.
"It's connected to her now."
Machir's expression changed.
"That should be impossible."
Seraya answered.
"It is."
Vaelor laughed.
"Not impossible."
He stepped forward.
"Unexpected."
His eyes moved between us.
"The twins have created something even I didn't anticipate."
"What?"
"The true bond."
The black river began glowing.
Vaelor raised his hand.
Every prisoner behind him screamed.
Their shadows stretched toward Sofia.
She cried out.
I grabbed her.
"Stay with me."
"I can't…"
"You can."
Her eyes began glowing silver.
The intertwined symbol on her wrist spread across her arm.
Seraya shouted,
"Rohgah, touch her!"
I grabbed Sofia's hand.
The light exploded.
Every shadow snapped backward.
The prisoners fell.
Vaelor stumbled.
For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.
"No."
Machir looked at Seraya.
"They're stronger together."
"Yes."
Vaelor shook his head.
"That wasn't supposed to happen."
I looked at him.
"You made a mistake."
He stared at me.
"What?"
"You thought separating us made us weak."
Sofia stepped beside me.
"But it made us stronger."
Vaelor's face twisted with rage.
"You don't understand what you've awakened."
The river behind him began shaking.
Machir looked toward the darkness.
"Vaelor…"
Vaelor turned.
The seal beneath the river was glowing again.
"What did you do?"
Vaelor smiled slowly.
"I didn't do anything."
A deep voice came from beneath the water.
I DID.
Everyone froze.
The Hollow.
The sealed door began cracking.
Seraya's face went pale.
"The first seal is breaking."
Machir looked at her.
"How?"
She stared at Rohgah and Sofia.
"Their bond."
I looked at our joined hands.
"No."
The Hollow spoke again.
BROTHER.
Then:
KEY.
Then:
COME HOME.
The river exploded.
Vaelor disappeared beneath a wall of black smoke.
The prisoners were thrown backward.
Machir fell.
Seraya rushed toward him.
Nicole, Ashbel, and Bella pulled the prisoners away from the river.
I held Sofia's hand.
The ground beneath us split.
A giant black symbol appeared.
At its center was a silver crown.
I stared at it.
"What is that?"
Seraya's voice trembled.
"The mark of the heir."
"I thought I lost that."
"You did."
She looked at Sofia.
"But the Hollow gave it back."
Sofia stared at the crown.
"Why?"
Seraya shook her head.
"I don't know."
Machir suddenly stood.
"I do."
Everyone turned toward him.
He looked directly at me.
"The prophecy isn't about you becoming the Hollow's king."
"Then what is it?"
Machir swallowed.
"It is about the one who will destroy its throne."
I stared at him.
"And who is that?"
Machir looked at Sofia.
Then at me.
"You."
The river erupted behind us.
A black throne rose from beneath the water.
Empty.
Waiting.
And carved across its back were five words:
ONLY THE HEIR CAN BREAK IT.
I stared at the throne.
Then Vaelor's voice echoed from somewhere beneath the earth.
"Come, Rohgah."
A pause.
"Your kingdom is waiting."
The black throne began glowing.
And for the first time…
I realized the Hollow wasn't trying to possess me anymore.
It was trying to crown me.