The next morning, Mona woke up in a cold sweat.
She had dreamed of fire, blood, and a woman standing in front of a burning forest—whispering in a voice like thunder.
"You are not just light… You are what they fear most."
Mona sat up in her bed in the mansion, heart racing. Her mark was glowing brighter than ever. It pulsed like a second heartbeat.
And outside her window, the sky wasn't blue—it was tinted faintly red.
Later in the Library
Jungwon stood with a leather-bound book in his hands, flipping pages fast.
"We knew she was powerful," he murmured, "but this is beyond even Lumora prophecy."
Jake leaned over his shoulder. "You think she's… something else?"
Jay answered before Jungwon could. "She's both. Light and darkness. I've seen this once before, in an old vampire scroll."
They all turned as Mona entered the room.
Her eyes were different today—no longer just silver. Flecks of deep red shimmered inside.
"I need answers," she said. "Now."
Sunoo stepped back a little, unease clear on his face. "Your energy is… changing."
"You mean getting darker," she said flatly.
Jungwon sighed. "There's something you should see."
He pulled out a sealed scroll. It looked ancient. "This was hidden in the council's vault. Only meant for royal eyes."
He unrolled it and pointed to a symbol—a glowing moon with a red claw slicing through it.
"The Forbidden Bloodline," he whispered.
Mona read the prophecy aloud, her voice shaking:
"Born of moon and ash, the one with silver flame and blood of wrath shall rise. She will save us… or end us all."
Jake stepped forward gently. "Mona… your mother wasn't just Lumora. She was something else. Something we thought was extinct."
Sunghoon entered silently, gaze fixed on her. "Your mother was a Daywalker. A vampire who could survive sunlight. A being born from both royal bloodlines—Light and Night."
Mona's knees went weak. "So I'm… what? A hybrid?"
"You're not just a hybrid," Heeseung said grimly. "You're the first of your kind. A Lightborn."
Niki had been silent until now. "That's why the Rogues want you," he said. "You're powerful enough to unite both sides… or destroy them."
Mona felt like the world was spinning. Her head pounded, and suddenly—
BOOM.
The chandelier above shattered—without anyone touching it.
Sunghoon rushed to her side. "It's happening. Your darkness… it's waking up."
"I don't want to hurt anyone," Mona whispered, but her voice didn't sound like hers anymore.
Niki stood across the room, staring at her with both awe and fear. "You're not hurting anyone, Mona. You're fighting yourself. Let us help."
"But what if I can't be saved?" she whispered, tears running down her cheeks. "What if I become worse than the Rogues?"
Sunghoon took her hands, his voice steady. "Then I'll stop you."
Her heart cracked. "You'd kill me?"
"I'd die before I let the world take you," he said, voice thick.
And then—
"I won't let it come to that," Niki said, stepping between them. "She's not a monster. She's Mona. And I trust her."
Their eyes locked. Tension. Jealousy. Fear.
And beneath it all… love.
Before anyone could speak, a sharp cry echoed through the halls.
Sunoo burst into the room. "They took Jake!"
"What?!"
"The Rogues. They used a summoning rune. He's gone."
Mona's blood ran cold.
They were no longer waiting.
The war had begun.