LYRIAN
They were all running, lungs burning, legs tired. But they didn't take any risks by stopping.
The ground beneath Lyrian's feet was black, rough, and uneven. It stretched endlessly into darkness. Ahead of her, the others were scattered—Reone, Nova, Diamond, Sire, Mickey, Seren, Primi, Anika, Mia—moving fast but without direction, as if the darkness itself were chasing them.
Behind them came a sound that made Lyrian's blood run cold.
It was demonic. It was Damon.
She glanced back just long enough to see him.
Damon wasn't himself anymore.
His eyes were as yellow as a Diviner's, his brown skin tinged with blue, and the rest of his body was wrong—twisted into something monstrous. In his hands, the Trident burned, its prongs lit with unstable energy.
He pointed it at them and fired.
The ground split open where the power struck. Stone cracked and burst apart, forcing them to scatter.
"Keep going!" someone yelled.
They didn't need to be told twice, and they didn't stop until there was nowhere left to go. Broken pillars and jagged stone surrounded them, and one by one they hid behind them, holding their breath as Damon moved slowly through the darkness, almost calmly, like he was enjoying the hunt.
Everything went quiet.
Damon stopped, searching.
Reone moved before Damon could react—much less Lyrian.
He launched himself from the shadows, slamming into Damon and driving him to the ground. The Trident flew from Damon's hands, skidding across the stone and coming to a stop near Mia, its glow dimming.
Reone tried to hold him down, but Damon was too strong. With a violent shove, he threw Reone across the space, sending him crashing into a pillar.
Lyrian gasped.
With Damon distracted, Mia ran toward the Trident.
She practically snatched it from the floor.
The moment her fingers wrapped around it, the weapon flared brightly. From where he stood, Damon's transformation vanished instantly, leaving him collapsed on the ground, human again, staring around in shock and rage.
He quickly realized that the power of the Trident didn't belong to him anymore.
Mia had it.
Damon lunged for her. Mia didn't hesitate when she lifted it and fired at him.
It caught Damon in the chest, and he went down on the floor with a thud.
Silence followed.
Mia stood there, breathing hard.
"We're safe," Anika whispered.
Relief spread through the group. Tension eased. A few nervous laughs broke the quiet.
Lyrian felt it then.
Something was wrong.
Mia didn't let go of the Trident.
Instead, its glow darkened, curling around her arms like smoke. Her smile stayed a second too long.
Then she changed.
Her body twisted unnaturally, shadows wrapping around her as heat rolled outward, forcing everyone back.
"Mia?" Lyrian said softly.
Mia turned toward them, monster now.
She then raised the Trident and aimed.
Power exploded from it. The ground shattered. The air burned. Nova threw up a shield just in time, her hands shaking as the energy slammed into it.
The shield cracked.
The blast sent them flying.
Lyrian hit the ground hard, pain shooting through her side. When she pushed herself up, everything spun. Around her, the others were down—Reone too.
Fear tightened in her chest.
Mia stood alone now, towering and unrecognizable, the Trident glowing dark in her hands as she faced Lyrian. There was nothing familiar in her eyes.
"Mia, please. Don't hurt us. We're your friends," Lyrian said, trying to reach her.
Mia kept advancing.
"This isn't you, Mia. You're our friend, the princess of Volaria and Rhys's wife. Please remember," Lyrian said.
At that, Mia paused.
"L-Lyrian?"
Lyrian gasped and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Mia. It's me."
Mia's grip on the Trident loosened, confusion crossing her face. There was clearly a battle raging inside her—one between light and darkness. Darkness seemed to be winning.
"Fight it, Mia," Lyrian said encouragingly.
"I—I can't," Mia whispered painfully.
Seeing the darkness about to take over again, Lyrian knew she had to do something. She decided to get Mia away from the Trident.
She moved toward it and struck it with a sonic blast. The weapon slid from Mia's hands across the stone, coming to rest a short distance away, still glowing faintly.
For a moment, Lyrian thought it was over.
It wasn't.
Mia didn't change back. She looked at Lyrian with hatred and anger, roaring, the sound shaking the ground. Fire surrounded her body in a way that made Lyrian scared for her life. Mia started moving, going for the Trident again.
Lyrian went for it too, knowing that if Mia reached it—she would destroy everything, including herself.
Mia saw her.
A fireball flew past Lyrian, close enough for her to feel the heat, but she dodged it. Then she dove, rolled, and grabbed the Trident before Mia could.
She froze, realizing what she was holding, and braced herself to be consumed by the darkness.
Nothing happened.
The corruption didn't take her the way it had taken Damon and Mia. The Trident felt heavy in her hands, cold and strangely aware, humming softly.
Mia was already moving toward her, another fireball forming in her hand.
Lyrian didn't think.
She raised the Trident and fired.
Mia yelled before dropping like a stone.
Lyrian stared at her still figure on the floor, dread pooling in her stomach.
"Mia!"
She fell to her knees beside her friend, hands shaking.
"Mia…?"
There was no response.
She looked around for help, but everyone was down. Horror washed over her. She then looked at the Trident in her hand, glowing with dark, unstable, immense energy—
Lyrian gasped and jolted awake.
Her heart was racing. Beads of sweat ran down her face. Her hands ached like they had been gripping something real.
She turned her head and saw Mia beside her, red hair spread across the pillow, breathing evenly in sleep. She gasped in fear before coming back to reality and catching herself. She let out a deep breath.
It had all been a nightmare.
Of course it was, she told herself.
Mia would never hurt them. They hadn't even found the Trident yet, not to mention reached the temple.
Relief flooded Lyrian, and she silently thanked the stars—especially that they were all okay and Mia was her normal,nice not monstrous self.
Still, the fear lingered.
The memory of the charred remains of the Nullborn Extractor Mia had destroyed came, unbidden and frightening.
Lyrian blinked it away. As Reone would tell her, Mia had done what she needed to do so that they all would survive. It did not mean that she was now a bad person, Lyrian thought guiltily.
But as she watched Mia sleep, Lyrian couldn't shake the feeling that the dream was trying to warn her.
She chuckled in the darkness, telling herself she was being ridiculous. It was just a nightmare and nothing more.
Lyrian closed her eyes to go back to sleep, but sleep just wouldn't come.
Giving up, she decided to go to the kitchen to grab a snack. Besides,she could never predict when she would be able to eat again these days.
Quietly, she slipped out of bed, careful not to wake the others. Diamond stirred slightly, but didn't wake. Lyrian tiptoed across the floor and opened the door softly, closing it just as gently behind her.
Holding the doorknob, she let out a sigh of relief.
Then she looked up.
A dark figure stood in the hallway.
******
She was about to scream when a hand covered her mouth.
"Shh. It's me," a familiar voice whispered.
Lyrian's eyes adjusted, and she widened them in surprise. She removed the hand of the owner of the voice.
"Reone!"
He shushed her again.
"Don't speak so loudly. You're going to wake everyone up," he whispered.
For a moment, Lyrian looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"What are you doing up here—besides trying to scare me to death?" she asked, sounding slightly pissed.
Reone gave her a guilty look.
"I wanted to talk to you," he said slowly.
"At this time?" Lyrian asked.
"I mean… we're both up, right?" he replied.
Lyrian narrowed her eyes. "You couldn't have known I'd be up here. Wait—have you been standing here hoping I'd come out of the room?"
Reone slumped his shoulders.
"Sort of," he admitted quickly.
For a moment, Lyrian just stared at him, taken aback.
"Then I'm guessing that whatever you want to talk about must be important."
Reone nodded. "It is. But let's not talk about it here. Mind if we go to the jet cabin?"
Lyrian crossed her arms and shrugged. "Sure."
They started walking.
"So… what are you doing up?" Reone asked.
"Oh—uh—Anika is keeping me awake with her snoring, so I thought I would go grab a snack," Lyrian lied easily.
Reone chuckled. "Anika? A snorer? Who knew."
"And what about you?" Lyrian asked, changing the topic.
He was quiet for a moment. In the darkness, she couldn't make out his expression.
"I had a lot on my mind, a lot I wanted to talk to you about," he said.
They reached the cabin, and Reone turned on the light. Lyrian finally got a clear look at him—and at the troubled look on his face.
"What is it?" she asked gently. "Is it your father? Rhys? Damon?"
Reone shook his head slowly.
"I guess you could say it's about… us."
Lyrian froze at his words. She hadn't expected that.
"Us?" she repeated.
He nodded.
"Oh," she said quietly.
"Let's sit," Reone suggested.
She did so without thinking, settling onto the cabin couch, wondering what he could possibly want to say. A knot formed in her chest. She hoped everything was okay—that she hadn't messed up again somehow, that he wasn't about to end things between them. Not when she was already head over heels in love with him again.
"So, what is it, Reone?" she asked softly.
Reone took a deep breath before talking, clearly to gather his courage.
"I've been hiding something from you, Lyrian," he admitted with visible effort.
Her brow furrowed. "What?"
"There's a secret I've been keeping from you… since yesterday."
Lyrian's heart skipped. "What are you talking about? What secret?"
"First, I want you to know I never intended to hurt you. In fact, I was trying to protect you—or at least, that's what I thought I was doing. But Primi says that…" He paused, exhaled, then continued. "The point is, I just wanted you to be okay."
Lyrian nodded, even though she was completely lost.
"Okay, but you're kind of freaking me out now," she said. "And you're not making much sense either. Just tell me. What secret?"
Lyrian sincerely wanted him to tell her—but she was also terrified that whatever he was about to say would change everything between them.
Reone swallowed.
"Do you remember yesterday, when we were in the Diviners' nest?" he asked.
She nodded slowly.
"And you woke up and I told you that the Nullborn Extractor injured you?"
Lyrian frowned. "What about it?"
"That's… not exactly what happened."
Her confusion deepened. "What happened then?"
Reone struggled to meet her gaze.
"What happened," he said quietly, "is that I failed you, Lyrian. I let you down. I let you… die."
Lyrian blinked.
"Come again?" she asked. "Did you just say I died?"
"Yes," Reone said, his expression filled with shame and anger at himself.
Lyrian couldn't speak. This was the last conversation she expected to be having. It didn't feel real, and it wasn't making sense.
Seeing her confusion, Reone closed his eyes before continuing.
"You were fighting Darel—and you were winning. You even managed to free me. But then that coward Randall came up behind you, drained all your resonance, and then you were… gone."
Lyrian still said nothing.
"I killed him after that," Reone went on. "But it was too late. At least that's what I thought until I talked to Darel. He told me that the Diviners could help you, and he even told me where they were. And I went there, hoping they could restore your resonance—which they did. But it doesn't change what happened, what I let happen. In another world, you really would've—"
His voice broke.
He closed his eyes to stop the tears from falling.
"I'm sorry, Lyrian. I'm sorry I let him kill you. And I'm sorry I hid it from you."
He finally looked at her, who was rendered speechless.
"Say something, Lyrian. Anything."
Lyrian's mind raced. Memories were surfacing—the forest, the pain, the darkness. It all made sense now.
"So that's why you were acting so strange at King's Hollow," she said softly. "After I woke up."
Reone nodded, a tear slipping free.
"And the Diviners… the Nullborn Extractors—they knew," Lyrian murmured. "That's why I couldn't understand some of the things they said."
Reone bowed his head.
"Are you mad at me?" he asked quietly.
Lyrian finally focused on him.
"I'm shocked. And confused," she admitted. "But no. I'm not mad."
Surprise and hope flickered in his eyes. "You're not?"
She shook her head and took his hand.
"Reone, you saved me."
"But I'm the one who let you get hurt."
"If I got hurt," Lyrian said firmly, "that's on the people who hurt me—the Nullborn Extractors—not you. And I understand why you didn't tell me. Honestly, I might've done the same. But I appreciate you telling me the truth."
Reone smiled faintly. "Yeah?"
She nodded.
He pulled her into a hug, and she returned it without hesitation.
"Thank you," he murmured. He then pulled back and brushed her cheek. "Lyrian Mercer, you're the most understanding girlfriend ever."
She blushed. "We're not official yet. Remember?"
"Right," Reone said, smiling. "The most understanding girl ever, then."
Reone actually wanted to ask her to be his girlfriend right then and there—but the moment felt fragile, and he didn't want to pressure her.
"I'm glad I told you the truth, Lyrian," he admitted. "Primi said it would weigh on me, and he was right."
Lyrian cupped his face.
"Next time, don't hesitate to tell me anything," she said gently. "We can figure things out together."
"I will," he promised.
She lowered her hands.
"Now," she said, "we still have a few hours until we get to the Temple. Let's use them to rest."
Reone groaned. "It's too crowded. I'd rather sleep here—on the couch."
Lyrian bit her lip. "Mind if I join you?"
Lyrian hoped that he would say yes. She felt like being near him right now—mostly because she loved him, but also because, after the nightmare earlier, she could use his comforting presence.
He slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Nothing I'd want more."
Lyrian smiled at him. Her gaze drifted to Reone's backpack on the floor—the one he'd taken from Damon's place, still containing all of their camping stuff.
"Check it out," she said. "We even have a blanket."
"What blanket?" Reone asked.
She stood, opened the bag, and pulled one out with a grin.
"Ta-da."
"Nice. The universe is on our side for once," he said.
"Don't jinx it. I'm trying to sleep," Lyrian half-joked.
Reone nodded seriously. "You're right."
They settled together on the couch, the blanket pulled over them. Reone kissed her forehead.
"Goodnight."
"Night," Lyrian replied, closing her eyes.
It didn't take long before they both drifted into a peaceful sleep. And they stayed like that until late into the morning. Around that time, an outside voice pulled them both from the peace.
*****
LYRIAN
Her eyes fluttered open.
A hand rested gently on her shoulder.
She jolted, lifting her head from Reone's chest, her heart pounding.
"Relax. It's me, Lyrian," Sire whispered.
She blinked, disoriented, then let out a slow breath. "Oh." Her pulse steadied. "Sire. Morning."
"Morning," he replied.
Sire opened his mouth to speak again—but before he could, Reone stirred beside her. He yawned as he sat up slightly, rubbing a hand over his face.
"Guys," he murmured, looking at Lyrian, then at Sire. "Everything okay?"
"I don't know," Lyrian said, looking at Sire for an answer.
The expression he met her with was troubled.
"No," he said quietly. "Everything is not okay."
Lyrian's stomach tightened. She exchanged a nervous glance with Reone.
"You two need to come with me to the conference area," Sire continued. "Right now."