Just as Rhiannan finishes double-checking the final trial scrolls with Reyna, Mo, full of syrup and sin, mouths "I regret nothing" after throwing a faeberry muffin at Kaleb's head...everything shifts.
It's Thalor who notices it first.
The Sun Elf warlock stands slowly, his golden runes pulsing with heat. His voice is razor sharp as he states.....
"We're being watched."
Kael doesn't wait. The Lion General is already moving, fangs bared, eyes glowing crimson.
"Where?" he growls.
Everyone goes silent. Even Mo's sarcastic mouth clamps shut, his hand pausing halfway to a second cinnamon roll.
Then… Sasha blares. "Unregistered magic signature in the upper western balcony. Confirmed shadow interference."
BOOM.
A pulse of magic slams through the room, sending chairs flying and flipping a breakfast table over. Dishes explode in sparkles and syrup.
"Fuck no!" Zaiya roars, her lightning erupting in jagged bolts as she draws both blades.
The twins, Nico and Nimra, vanish mid bite, teleporting onto the balcony.
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" Nico's voice echoes down.
A figure cloaked in living shadow peels away from the stone wall like oil sliding off glass. They're tall, faceless, and vibrating with chaotic energy. The moment Nimra hurls a blade, the figure vanishes into smoke… but not before whispering something ancient and foul into the air.
Rhiannan's magic pulses instinctively, wrapping the room in a protective dome. Her voice...booming with divine command...rings out across the hall:
"LOCKDOWN. NOW."
Elisha shifts into his dragon form with a burst of golden scales and fury. The rebel leaders leap into action. Veena lights up in flames. Sable unsheathes his claws with a wicked smile like he's been begging for this moment.
Meanwhile, Mo dives under the table, shoving a scone in his mouth and shouting:
"Someone hold my muffin, I'm gonna go full murder mode!"
Sasha speaks again, grim:
"Whatever that was… it wasn't mortal. And it wanted one of you."
Everyone turns to Reyna, who's shaking slightly....because she heard the voice that whispered.
It said:
"The threads twist tighter around the blade. The price will be her blood."
Rhiannan's eyes narrow.
"Oh hell no. We're done playing defense. Get every mage, every fighter, every trained fuckin' sentry on alert. That was a direct threat."
Kael smirks grimly.
"Then it's time we send a message back."
As the chaos begins to settle...guards locking down the halls, Sasha scanning every inch of the castle, and Rhiannan shouting orders...Reyna slips away, something tugging hard at her soul.
The moment she steps into the quiet side hall near the moonstone fountain…
The world fractures.
Everything goes still. Then silent. Then black.
The darkness folds around her like silk, and suddenly...Reyna is standing ankle deep in glowing water beneath a sky full of stars that pulse with heartbeat rhythm. A woman of blinding starlight rises from the depths. The Goddess.
Her voice is both thunder and lullaby:
"Daughter of the Tides. Hear me now."
Reyna drops to her knees instantly, trembling.
The Goddess reaches forward and cups her face, her touch like cool ocean mist and burning truth.
"A shadow has marked her. The blade is meant for the flame...but they will try to twist it into striking the moon."
Reyna frowns, confused.
"You speak in riddles...who is the blade?"
The Goddess's eyes glow.
"You are, child. You and the other four. The ones chosen to guard her soul. But you were forged in sea and sorrow, and now… you must choose fury or faith."
The stars above swirl violently as the vision continues.
She's shown a future...possible future, where Rhiannan bleeds out in her arms, felled not by enemy hands, but a betrayal so close it could be mistaken for love.
She sees herself standing between that fate and Rhiannan's salvation.
The Goddess speaks again:
"You will be her anchor when the divine storm comes. And soon… you will wield water not to heal....but to drown those who seek her ruin."
A final whisper...
"There is a traitor in the trials. Find them. Burn their secrets into salt and silence."
Reyna gasps as she's thrust back into her body....collapsing near the fountain, eyes wide, breath ragged.
She scrambles to her feet, seawater clinging to her like armor.
Torvax and Nahlia come running, having felt her power flare....and Reyna doesn't hesitate.
"We need to find Rhiannan. Now. The Goddess just gave me marching orders...and someone's about to fucking die."
Reyna sprints through the castle halls like a tidal wave in human form. Hair wild, magic pulsing in her veins, eyes still glowing faintly from the divine vision. She bursts into the war room, where Rhiannan and the others are finishing the final touches for the Trial by Flame.
Rhiannan turns, brow furrowed. "You alright, fishstick?"
Reyna doesn't slow down. "We've got a traitor. Goddess told me. She showed me a possible future....you dead."
The room goes dead fucking silent. Rhiannan clenches her jaw, and her fists as she takes a deep breath.
Elisha stands, jaw tight. Kaleb growls low in his throat. Arwen narrows his eyes.
Rhiannan exhales sharply, shoving her hair back. "Fuck. I knew something was coming." Her voice is soft but firm. "Okay. I need to launch the trial. There's no time. I trust you, Reyna. You need to root the snake out before it strikes."
Reyna looks over at Torvax and Nahlia, her heart clenching. "I can't pick them. They're going into the trial. I need warriors I trust who aren't in the ring."
Rhiannan steps closer, squeezing Reyna's hand tight. "Then build a fucking dream team. You've got my full blessing. Anyone gives you shit, send 'em to Sasha for a cavity search."
Reyna snorts despite the tension. "Copy that."
Rhiannan locks eyes with her. "This is our home now. We're building something worth fighting for. Worth dying for. Don't let the darkness get a single fucking inch."
Reyna nods. "I won't. I'll drown it in salt and blood."
Rhiannan smiles fiercely. "That's my girl."
Reyna turns, heart pounding, scanning the castle halls and open spaces for allies.
Now the question is…
👉 Who the fuck does she choose?
🕵️♀️ REYNA'S DREAM TEAM: THE THREE SHADOWS
1. SORIS "WHISPERBLADE" VIREN
Species: Void Elf
Role: Master of Disguise & Information Extraction
Powers: Glamour shifting, mind tapping, memory echoes
Personality: Cold, calculating, elegant as fuck. Dresses like a librarian but will steal your soul and your secrets.
Backstory: Former royal interrogator turned rebel spy. Disappeared five years ago. Now works in the dark, only answering to the goddess herself.
Quote:
"Everyone talks, eventually. Some just need... creative encouragement."
2. BRUXXA THE BEASTMOTHER
Species: Unknown (Possibly cursed human or minor god)
Role: Tracker & Enforcer
Powers: Blood scent tracking, shadow leashing, beast summoning
Personality: Savage but motherly. Growls at everyone but will fight to the death to protect the innocent.
Backstory: Once imprisoned for "feral tendencies," she escaped, ate her captors, and now leads a pack of magical hounds.
Quote:
"I can track the scent of betrayal like a bitch in heat. Let's hunt."
3. IRIEL DAWNREAVER
Species: Fallen Seraphim (Winged Celestial)
Role: Arcane Strategist & Magical Defense Specialist
Powers: Celestial warding, soul tethering, radiant truth magic
Personality: Stoic, wise, radiates judgment. Always smells like incense and vengeance.
Backstory: Banished from the divine realm for siding with mortals. Now serves Rhiannan's cause in secret, offering divine-level fuckery protection.
Quote:
"Justice may be blind, but I see just fine."
Reyna stands in the secret war room, Sasha flickering above her, feeding real time data to hidden magical projectors.
The three new recruits arrive, cloaked in magic and purpose. They stand before her like the sharp edge of a sacred blade.
Reyna: "A traitor walks among us. If they aren't stopped, Rhiannan dies. I can't use my mates...they're competing. I need you."
Soris: leans forward, eyes glowing indigo "Who dies first?"
Bruxxa: sniffing the air like a beast "There's blood in this castle already. Old. Hidden. I'll find the source."
Iriel: softly, like a holy warning "Let the guilty pray. Their judgment approaches."
Sasha (purring): "I like them. They make me feel... violent."