Chapter 34
The Elven Realm
Erin's POV
The moment I stepped out of the portal and into the elven realm—with Ruby and Theo at my sides and my ten thousand Goldrens behind us—I felt my breath catch.
The air shimmered with magic.
The sky glowed in soft shades of lilac. Buildings were sculpted from living trees, glowing crystals, and threads of golden light. Everything looked ethereal, more magical than anything in the vampire realm. I had thought the vampires had the most enchanting architecture, but the elves… they lived inside magic.
If this was their everyday environment, then their powers on the battlefield would be terrifying.
A small thrill rushed through me.
I'll get to see everything with my own eyes.
The portal closed behind us, and we appeared inside the grand palace courtyard. Elven soldiers surrounded us, their spears glowing at the tips. Standing at the front were three men.
One was tall, elegant, and crowned—King Johnson.
Another was an older man with golden hair streaked with silver—my grandfather, Michael.
And the third, a handsome man with black hair who looked exactly like Aunt Mona.
My cousin, I realized immediately.
Ruby and Theo flanked me in their human forms, their auras blending naturally with mine as we walked forward. The entire palace turned its attention to us as I approached the three waiting figures.
I ignored the stares and went straight to my grandfather, wrapping my arms around him.
He froze for a second—then hugged me back tightly.
"Oh, Erin," he sighed, voice trembling with relief. "My dear child… I've missed you. You've been through too much."
"I'm fine, Grandpa," I said softly. "Really."
He cupped my face, brows furrowed. "I don't know why you chose to join this war, but… please be careful. I don't want to lose you."
I smiled reassuringly. "You won't. My powers are almost fully restored, and my memories are returning too. The only thing still fuzzy is what happened that day."
Grandpa's eyes darkened. "You'll see everything once your barriers fully break. But Erin… prepare yourself. No one has told you yet but—"
He didn't finish.
Because King Johnson cleared his throat loudly.
"Michael," the king said with a dry smile, "as much as I enjoy watching you smother your granddaughter, I would very much like a word with the creator of the Goldrens."
Grandfather chuckled under his breath. "Fine, fine. I'll go inspect the Goldrens outside. Leo's warriors should be arriving shortly anyway."
King Johnson turned to him. "Before you leave—how many 'few warriors' is Leo sending?"
"About five thousand," Grandpa said casually.
King Johnson stared at him. "…Five. Thousand. You called that few?"
Grandfather shrugged. "It's not that many."
The king pinched the bridge of his nose. "Michael, five thousand weaklings would be suicide. But five thousand strong warriors? That's a different matter entirely. You're sure they're strong?"
"Very."
"Good. Then go check on the Goldrens. Even in their small forms they look intimidating."
Grandpa left with a nod.
As soon as he was gone, the black-haired man beside King Johnson chuckled. "To me, they look like cute little flies in their small form. Their human form? That's another story."
I couldn't help it—I smiled. Then I turned to him.
"Hey. You're Aunt Mona's son, right? My cousin?"
He grinned. "Yep. The one and only."
"I'm sorry," I admitted. "I don't remember your name yet."
"Nathaniel. But just Nate is fine."
He straightened and bowed slightly. "Queen Erin, I'll have to excuse myself. Since His Majesty is going to war, I'll be managing the realm with my fiancée—the princess. We have… a lot to prepare. I'll see you before you leave."
He jogged off, and I turned back to King Johnson.
"This enemy must be extremely powerful if even the king of elves is going to war."
"Powerful is an understatement," he replied. "He is not to be underestimated."
I nodded slowly, letting the weight of that sink in.
"I'm glad Grandpa invited me," I said honestly. "I want to protect the werewolf realm. There are people I care about there."
"Exactly why I told Michael to call for you," the king replied.
I blinked. "Wait… you were the one who asked him to tell me about the war?"
He smiled knowingly. "I knew you would want to help."
My chest warmed at his sincerity.
"And," he added, "I desperately want the help of your creations. Goldrens can destroy anything touched by darkness—including demons, correct?"
"Yes," I replied. "That's true."
"Then we need them."
I hesitated before asking, "Your Majesty… what exactly are we fighting? I keep hearing 'ancient enemy,' but no one has explained what that means."
The king sighed deeply.
And for the first time, I saw fear flicker in the eyes of an elven king.
"Roosevelt," he said. "The ancient enemy… is a vampire."
I stiffened.
"A vampire?" I repeated. "Like me?"
"Not like you," the king corrected. "He lost his mind centuries ago—driven by betrayal from the werewolves. He seeks destruction, not justice. Any race that refuses war is automatically his enemy. Even if we didn't involve ourselves, he'd eventually come for the other realms."
Cold spread through my chest.
A mindless ancient vampire…
A threat to every realm…
This was far worse than the rumors.
"That's—"
"Time," my grandfather interrupted, walking back in. "Everything is ready. Leo's warriors arrived. The portals are set."
Grandpa looked at me pointedly.
"Your father and mother are angry you left without telling them. Eric, too. You'll have to deal with that later."
My heart dropped.
Oh right…
I had completely forgotten about them in my rush.
Before I could reply, my gaze shifted—and I finally noticed Mars standing silently behind me. He had been so quiet, I barely sensed his presence.
I didn't have time to wonder about it.
King Johnson raised his hand. "If everything is settled… let's move. We'll discuss the ancient enemy further once we arrive."
I nodded and walked with Ruby, Theo, and Mars toward the portal field outside the palace.
Halfway there, Mars suddenly spoke after hours of silence.
"Erin… is this really wise?" he asked quietly. "You still haven't regained all your powers."
I looked at him and smiled softly. "I can control my abilities very well now. Don't worry."
I reached out and tapped his shoulder lightly.
He tensed—completely stiff.
I blinked.
Was he… shy?
Or was he just addicted to physical contact?
Who knew with Mars?
We reached the courtyard where enormous portals had been opened. The entire area buzzed with magical energy. Elven mages stabilized the portals while warriors lined up.
My Goldrens entered the largest portal, shifting slightly as their small forms flickered.
The vampire warriors my father sent entered another portal.
The elven warriors stepped into theirs in perfect formation.
After every soldier had crossed, only the leaders remained:
King Johnson.
Grandfather.
And me—with Ruby, Theo, and Mars standing behind me like shadows.
The king gestured toward the final portal.
"Let's go."
I took a deep breath. A storm swirled in my chest—fear, excitement, dread, anticipation.
But I stepped forward anyway.
Because whatever was waiting for us in the werewolf realm…
I would face it.
Not as a powerless omega.
Not as the confused girl I once was.
But as a queen.