"Daddy!"
The sound cut through the afternoon air like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
Carl barely had time to brace himself before a small body hurled into his arms, nearly knocking the wind out of him.
"Caveen," he whispered, clutching his son tightly, burying his face in the boy's soft hair. Gods, how had he gone a whole month without holding him?
"You've grown heavier," Carl teased, lifting him with ease as he carried him toward the mansion's looming entrance. "Did you drive your aunts and uncles crazy again?"
"Nooo," Caveen grinned mischievously, wrapping his arms tightly around Carl's neck. "I behaved like a good boy! Everyone said so!"
Carl's chest tightened. That smile—it was her smile. Aster's. The same sparkle in the eyes, the same innocent curve of the lips. A mirror image.
Damn it. He wasn't ready. That face still haunted his dreams.
He swallowed hard, forcing down the surge of grief. Now wasn't the time for that. Not when he still didn't have the full truth.
Not when someone—someone—had answers.
---
The old mansion hadn't changed.
The portraits lining the halls seemed to watch Carl as he passed, judging, remembering. The scent of cedar and secrets clung to the walls. His grandfather's house. His inheritance. His prison.
But today, he wasn't here to reminisce.
He was here for the truth.
He found his aunt, Merca, surrounded by other noblewomen, laughter floating around her like perfume.
Carl offered his most charming smile. "Ladies, forgive the intrusion, but may I steal my aunt for a moment? Business matters."
They giggled and waved him off. Merca raised a brow, but followed.
The garden was quiet. The air sharp with roses and magic.
"What is this about, Carl?" she asked, folding her arms. "You're wearing that 'trouble's brewing' face."
Carl didn't bother with pleasantries. "How long have you known Lady Vienna of the Carrello Coven?"
Merca blinked. Then paled. "Why do you ask about her?"
"I need to know," Carl said firmly. "About Aster. Why did Vienna adopt her? Who was she really?"
Silence.
A gust of wind rustled the rose bushes.
And then Merca whispered, voice brittle, "Has Aster awakened?"
Carl's breath caught. She knows.
"Yes," he said slowly.
Merca stumbled back a step, visibly shaken. "That's impossible. The prophecy said twenty years... The curse should've held longer!"
Carl pulled out his phone. Showed her the Council's footage. Zoomed in on Maika's face.
"This is her," he said quietly. "This is Aster."
Merca gasped. Her hands trembled. "No... It's too soon. That foolish girl... She really did it. Vienna unsealed the twins—sacrificed herself for them."
"What do you mean?" Carl's voice sharpened. "Sacrificed for whose twins?"
Merca swallowed hard. "Sit down. You need to hear everything."
---
"Vienna met Valus in Franza," Merca began, her eyes distant with memory. "They were young. Passionate. She got pregnant. Vanessa Carrello were furious. She demanded she abort—the child in her."
Carl clenched his jaw. "But she didn't?"
"She did," Merca said, voice breaking. "But Valus… he bribed a Vellaria doctor. They preserved the embryo in secret. Vienna never saw him again after that. Valus married another—Merrine. But the irony? Merrine was barren. So... they implanted the embryo into her."
Carl's heart slammed in his chest. "You're saying…"
"Aster and Malko are twins. Vienna's children. Valus' children. Born through Merrine."
Carl was speechless. The blood roared in his ears.
"And twins," Merca whispered, "in vampire lore… are cursed. One must die before the other reaches adulthood."
"Gods," Carl breathed. "And Vienna knew?"
"She did not until- a call from Vantessa about the twins and Valus told her . She always knew what will happen to her if she interfere with the curse. That's why she took Aster back. Raised her as her loved her. Hid her truth from the Carrellos. From the Council. From everyone. When Aster turned eighteen, Vienna planned to perform the spell that would break the curse… but she knew it would cost her life."
Carl's throat felt dry. "So she gave everything she had… for her daughter."
Merca nodded. Her eyes shimmered. "She loved that girl with her entire soul."
Carl's heart ached. For Aster. For the secrets. For the sacrifices.
"And Caveen?" he asked, voice low. "What does this mean for him?"
Merca didn't flinch.
"Caveen is special, Carl. More than you realize. He's a hybrid of Lycan and vampire… possibly more if he possessed the Carello dark magic."
"When his thirst first awoke, we used a single drop of elite blood to suppress it. But he's changing. Slowly. And if the wrong people find out…Carl swore, fists clenched. "I will protect him with everything I have."
---
As Carl left the mansion, his mind was a storm.
Vienna was Aster's true mother.
Aster was the child of a vampire and a witch.
And Caveen… their son… was something the world wasn't ready for.
Half-Lycan. Half-vampire. With dormant witch blood waiting to awaken.
A living weapon. A living miracle.
Carl's lips pressed into a grim line.
He had to find Aster—Maika. He had to make her remember. Had to find a way to undo this twisted fate.
Even if the world burned.
---
Maika stood before the mirror like a ghost in a dream.
Ivory silk clung to her body, delicate lace framing her shoulders. A crown of pearls rested in her dark curls.
She looked perfect.
But she felt like a prisoner.
"My lady… you look breathtaking," Anne whispered, awe in her voice.
Maika didn't respond.
Her eyes were locked on her reflection, her voice soft. "Why am I marrying him? Why must I follow a fate that isn't mine?"
Anne flinched. "Your Highness, it's your duty—"
Maika spun around. "Duty?" Her laugh was bitter, sharp. "To who? To a kingdom I barely know? To a man I do not love?"
Anne's eyes dropped. "To our bloodline. To our legacy."
Maika fell onto the velvet cushions, the weight of her gown pressing her down.
"I didn't ask to be born a princess," she whispered. "Sometimes… I wish I were just a girl. A normal girl. No curses. No expectations. Just… freedom."
Anne hesitated. Then knelt beside her.
"My lady… we don't get to choose our destiny. But we can choose how we face it."
Maika stared at the ceiling.
But what if I refuse?
What if she chose rebellion?
What if she walked away from it all?
From the crown.
From the curse.
From the life Vienna died to protect.
And what if, just maybe… her heart still belonged to the man she thought she lost?