Chapter 2 – The Shattered Fragments
The storm had not left with their mother. It lingered, heavy and restless, as though the skies themselves mourned her absence.
The six gathered in the manor's hall, firelight painting their faces in trembling orange. No one spoke at first. The silence pressed in, thick as smoke, until Kael slammed his fist against the table.
"This is madness," he growled. "People don't just vanish. That wasn't our mother—it was some sorcery. A trick."
"It wasn't a trick," Serenya whispered. Her eyes were distant, unfocused. "I saw it before it happened. The moment her body turned to light. I thought it was only a dream, but…" She shuddered. "It was a vision."
Aelric turned sharply. "You knew?"
"I didn't know what it meant," she snapped, her voice shaking. "I never do."
Lyra, her hands trembling, touched her chest. "I felt something when she faded. Like a thread snapping—and something… filling me." She held up her palm. A faint glow shimmered there, green and gold, curling like living veins of light. "It's warm. Alive."
Mira gasped. "I felt it too! Only here." She tapped her heart. "It's still there."
Kael leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "Show me."
Before anyone could stop him, he reached for her hand. The moment their fingers brushed, a spark leapt between them. Kael staggered back with a cry, his other hand bursting into sudden flame.
The fire coiled along his arm, brilliant and wild, yet it did not burn his flesh. His eyes widened. "What—what is this?!"
The flames licked higher, spreading to the curtains. Aelric rushed forward, seizing his brother's arm, and with a roar pulled him away from the fire. His grip tightened, veins bulging with unnatural strength—so strong that the table cracked beneath his hand.
Everyone froze.
"What's happening to us?" Lyra whispered.
Dorian had not moved. He stood in the corner, shadows curling at his feet. His face was pale, eyes fixed on something unseen.
"They're watching us," he said softly.
"Who?" Aelric demanded.
"The shadows," Dorian replied, his voice hollow. "They know who we are now."
Lightning tore across the sky. For an instant, the windows went dark—not from the storm, but from shapes pressing against the glass. Tall, crooked, faceless. Watching.
THE HALLOW REGENT 'S HAD ARRIVED