They watched as the candle began to flicker violently, its flame threatening to go out. The ground beneath them trembled, and the once dull, dimly lit room suddenly brightened up.
Ivan saw how Evelyn's body began to glow like a star, radiating so much divine energy that it stirred deep within him. Something familiar, something forgotten.
Her power pulsed, wild and unrestrained and it felt eerily similar to the force slumbering inside him. Her eyes had turned radiant gold, her hair lifted with the force of her own spiritual pressure flowing from within her. With each passing second, her aura expanded, her energy spilling into the room like an untamed storm.
Evelyn felt her entire being thrumming with so much vitality, so much that it started to overwhelm her. Her eyes looked at Ivan to see his eyes were no longer red as they had turned molten orange, glowing with a heat that mirrored her light. And at that moment she felt it again, that strange, magnetic pull towards him, as if she had known him forever.
The air crackled around them.
As Evelyn's golden light surged, Ivan's molten aura responded instinctively, flaring like wildfire, hungry and alive. Without either of them moving, their powers reached for each other, invisible threads of light and flame twisting, tangling in mid-air like ancient forces reuniting.
The candlelight exploded into brilliance for a heartbeat, then extinguished altogether.
The room was no longer dark as it was illuminated entirely by them.
As their flaring powers met, a sudden series of images flashed in front of their eyes. They saw a glimpse of a beautiful meadow filled with vibrant flowers, where two figures stood, a woman in a flowing dress with long blond hair, running towards a man who stood tall and regal, watching her approach. His face was hidden in shadow as the sun blazed brightly behind him. Just as she lunged into his arms and he caught her, the vision shattered, bringing them back to the present.
They didn't know who those people were, but the vision filled them both with an overwhelming sense of intense contentment, like they had felt, in an instant, exactly what those strangers had once left.
Evelyn couldn't move, her eyes wide with shock at what she had just seen. Then, without a warning, a wave of emotion crashed into her with full force. Emotions filled with longing, happiness and love….a feeling so foreign, it left her breathless. Her eyes welled up with tears as she continued to stare at Ivan, who stood frozen like a statue in front of her.
She saw how he didn't move at first, his eyes wide, as if frozen in shock. A second passed before he suddenly stepped towards her, took the locket from her hand and fastened it around her neck once more.
As he did, Evelyn's glow started to fade, Ivan turned away, facing the other direction and closed his eyes, trying to regain his composure. He was too shaken by the unfamiliar image of those two figures he had just seen– so vivid, so haunting in that brief flash.
None of them spoke for a while. Evelyn shut her eyes briefly and took a long, shaky breath. She lifted her delicate, trembling hand and wiped the traces of tears from her cheeks.
She then opened her now clear blue eyes and whispered, "Di-did you..see it too?"
Ivan finally opened his eyes, which were back to their usual colour and his aura receded as he exhaled. He turned his head slightly over his shoulder and asked, "See what?"
"That..those flashes of images?" she paused, taking another deep breath, her voice unsteady, "That woman…running in the meadow?"
Ivan turned around fully to face her. His expression was cold and unreadable. In a clipped tone, "No. I didn't see anything, Princess Evelyn."
Evelyn was taken aback by his sudden icy demeanor, unable to understand what had made him change so abruptly.
She opened her mouth to say more, but Ivan spoke again, "I think we should get back to the academy. It's getting late, and we're almost past curfew."
Her eyes continued to observe him, confused by his sudden shift in behaviour. Something about his mood warned her not to press further. So she responded softly, "Okay…but what about my powers and the loc–"
"You'll continue to wear it and hide your powers from others for the same reasons I told you earlier about darkrots. If they catch even a hint that someone like you exists, someone who is both a threat and a powerful sacrifice, they will come for you. Either way, if you don't want to die a brutal death, speak to no one about this." he said sternly.
She stayed silent for a moment before asking, "What about Cece and Damien? They'll find out eventually and they'll ask about what happened today."
He stepped forward and replied, "I'll fill them in on what happened and ask them not to discuss anything on academy grounds. There are far too many eyes and ears that can pick up even the faintest whispers."
His eyes narrowed at her and he spoke in an icy voice, "What happened here, in the lighthouse, you discuss with no one. If I so much as hear a whisper of it, you know what awaits you."
Evelyn felt wronged by his direct threat and she said irritatedly, "And why would I reveal anything that happened here when I know it could put my own life at risk? Besides, I still don't even understand half the things that just happened."
She looked at him accusingly. He held her gaze with an intense stare and said, "Isn't it obvious, princess? That locket has been there on you since birth, meaning it's been suppressing your powers all this time. That's why you've been powerless your entire life. So instead of looking at me like that, maybe you should be asking your own family why they would do this to you, when they could've simply taught you how to control and train your powers."
As Ivan said those words out loud, Eve was left speechless as his truth cut deeper than she expected. Her mind spun back through the years, the cold stares, the whispered insults, the mocking laughter, the loneliness and the shame. All those moments when she had questioned her worth, believing she was broken. Powerless.
It all made her feel deeply betrayed.
With everything Ivan told her about the dark creatures lurking in the shadows, she understood that the locket had been meant to protect her, but he was right.
Why hadn't they trained her to control her powers instead? Why had they let her be humiliated, ridiculed and isolated, never once stepping forward to defend her?
A dull ache bloomed in her chest at the thought of it all. Seeing her fall silent, with a shadow of sadness crept into her eyes, Ivan said gently, "Let me take you back. We can talk about this later."
When Evelyn didn't say anything, he moved swiftly and picked her up in his strong arms effortlessly. With his vampiric speed and power, took her back to the academy.
By the time they arrived, it was already past curfew so Ivan dropped her in front of her room and went to his without saying another word to her. Wordlessly, she entered her room to find some respite from the whirlwind of the day that had unfolded before her.
Mentally drained and not wanting to think anymore, she quickly bathed and changed into her night clothes. She collapsed onto her bed, falling into another dreamless slumber.