Virelya's POV — When the Gods Arrived on Earth
I saw it.
Azazel taking Aeria—then vanishing through the Nexus. Moments later, the sky cracked open with blinding light. Three gods descended, sealing the Nexus shut and crashing through the fire Azazel left behind as if it were nothing.
Casimir stood beside me, watching from afar.
"Let's go. To the forest," he said.
His black wings unfurled, sharp and dark against the burning sky. He lifted me into the air and carried me deep into the forest, where no one could hear us—except the trees.
There, without a word, he grabbed me—hungry, desperate—and kissed me. His hands roamed as he pushed me to the forest floor.
My moans echoed through the trees. I couldn't stop them. Pain and pleasure blurred until my body gave in.
When it was over, I lay there, breathless, drained of everything but want.
And still… I asked, voice soft and trembling:
"Our daughter… she'll rule this realm soon, won't she?"
Casimir looked at me with cold certainty.
"The king is already working to extract her true self. The darkness will take her fully… and mold her into a weapon."
I blinked. That means… she's not Aeria anymore.
I whispered, "Then she's gone… All that's left is darkness."
He nodded. "Exactly. That's the point. And once she awakens… she will help us rule this realm."
For a moment, I hesitated.
My heart—what's left of it—twisted in my chest.
Aeria's laughter. Her little hands tugging at mine.
"Are we doing the right thing?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.
Casimir's eyes narrowed, sharp and cruel.
"We talked about this long ago. You knew. You agreed. She's the only one who can kill Aurel."
My breath hitched.
"But… how can you be so sure?" I whispered. "What if she can't?"
Casimir stepped closer, his voice like a blade:
"Because Aurel can't kill her sister."
—
"Now listen to me," Casimir said, voice low and commanding. "You are to return to the castle and shatter all the ashglass in its vault. Do it quietly. No one must know."
I hesitated. "By now… they might suspect I'm working with the Veil."
He pulled me close, lips brushing my ear.
"No. Not unless you make them believe otherwise. You need a plan—something that will keep their eyes off you."
I felt his breath against my skin. Warm. Intoxicating.
"The Nexus is sealed. I can't return to the Veil," he continued. "But the gods can. Whatever they're planning, you must return here and tell me everything."
He kissed me again—deep, possessive, promising.
"Soon, you will be my queen. But for now, you must pretend. Don't blow your cover. Now go."
I wanted to stay. Gods, I wanted to stay.
With him, I felt wanted. Seen. Loved.
So I ran—straight to the castle—heart pounding with purpose.
—
When I returned, I heard it.
Distant booms echoing from the city—not far from the castle. The gods were fighting.
I went to our chambers. Took the key to the lower dungeons. I had one mission: burn all the ashglass, just as I'd promised Casimir—my love.
But as I walked the corridor, I saw Aeria's chamber door… open.
I stepped inside.
Her bed was unmade. Shattered glass glittered on the floor. Her nightdress lay crumpled nearby—soaked in blood.
My heart clenched.
I turned to her drawer, hesitated… then opened it.
And there I saw it.
A comb I had carved for her when she was just a little girl.
Beside it, a seashell bracelet—the one we made together, laughing by the shore.
I covered my mouth.
I hadn't even realized I was crying. The tears just came—silent and unstoppable.
A memory struck me like a blade:
Aeria, laughing.
Running barefoot across the grass.
Her arms thrown around me, eyes full of love.
That's when I realized…
When the gods chose to create Aurel inside me—I let myself forget.
I forgot that even if fate cursed me—
Someone still loved me.
Truly.
My daughter. Aeria.
And I had sold her to darkness.
For revenge.
My hand trembled as I gripped the drawer.
What have I done?
From the other room, I heard Aurel's scream.
A sharp, desperate sound.
I knew then—the gods had spoken to her.
The gods. Yes, the gods.
My heart pounded as I rushed toward the room.
Hoping… praying… that Aeria hadn't been taken by darkness yet.
I flung open the door and pleaded,
"I made a terrible mistake. Please, help me."
Aeria—she has been taken.
Aurel looked at me as if I hadn't done terrible things to her.
"Mother, are you alright?" she asked, noticing my torn gown and muddy shoes.
"I'm alright," I replied.
I called for Haedron. The gods' eyes bore into me with pure judgment.
But without hesitation, I said, "The king, Azazel, took Aeria to the Veil to take over her body. They're turning her into a weapon."
I grasped Aurel's hand tightly, but then the Moonborn stepped between us.
"How can we be sure you're not tricking us?" he asked. "You've done so much already. And hearing that you even knew Azazel—"
He cut off, his voice heavy with suspicion.
"That means you knew a lot more than you've told us."
Haedron stepped forward.
"The Moon Prince is right. We cannot trust my wife."
He commanded the soldiers, "Cuff her. Take her to the dungeon."
As they fastened the cuffs on my wrists, I pleaded,
"You can do anything to me—kill me, imprison me forever—it doesn't matter. But please, save Aeria. Please."
In the Throne Room
In the throne room, Helius stood before King Haedron, his expression grave.
"King Haedron, you must attend to your wife immediately," he said firmly. "Speak to her—and take Nytheria with you. There is something urgent you need to understand."
Haedron's brow furrowed as Helius continued, voice low but heavy with meaning:
"Aeria has been chosen by the Veil—not by chance, but because her bloodline is tied to it. She is not purely human, that much I am certain."
Haedron's eyes widened in shock, and he clenched his fists.
Helius took a cautious step forward, lowering his voice even further:
"You need to understand why Virelya never told you who Aeria's father truly is. It wasn't shame—it was strategy. She was hiding more than a name. She was hiding a bond with the Veil itself."
A cold silence filled the room as the weight of the revelation sank in. Haedron's heart pounded. The woman he loved—the mother of Aeria—was caught in a web of secrets far more complex than he ever imagined.
"Go," Helius urged quietly.
Aurel looked out the window into the distance. Luceris watched her from afar, his gaze full of pure love. Then he turned to Crixus, who stood beside him.
"So, Aeria is the doom in the prophecy, and Aurel is the savior," Luceris said. "They were born to kill each other?"
Crixus nodded. "Yes. And you, Luceris, you are the one in the written Prophecy of the Twin Moons who will help Aurel achieve her destiny—her protector."
Luceris sighed. "But now that we know the truth, it will be harder for Aurel to fight the darkness, knowing it's her sister."
"That's the point," Crixus replied. "The Veil chose Aeria because Aurel loves her. So, in order to fulfill your prophecy, when the time comes, no matter how Aurel reacts, you must be willing to give your life to protect her. And to do that, you must kill Aeria."