The Sanctum reacted instantly to her confession.
"I want both."
Those three words shattered every law the realm had obeyed for millennia.
A boom cracked through the star-chamber, powerful enough to shake Aeloria's bones. The sigils beneath their feet flared with blinding gold and crimson light, spiraling outward like liquid fire. The ground trembled and split, exposing streams of raw celestial energy beneath the stone.
The vampire seized her wrist—not rough, not gentle, but certain."You've changed everything, little star."
The dragon's grip locked around her waist, heat flooding through her body in a wave that made her gasp."Not changed," he growled. "Completed."
The Sanctum roared.
The walls dissolved into pure light, leaving the three of them suspended in a void made entirely of energy—golden flame, scarlet shadow, and silver starlight twisting around them in a cosmic dance.
Aeloria's heartbeat thundered loud enough she could feel it in her teeth.
The Bond—now fused, now undeniable—pulled all three of them closer, trapping her between fire and shadow. Their auras wrapped around her body like opposing forces desperate to taste the same star.
The vampire's lips hovered a breath from hers, voice sharp and low."You're trembling again."
"I'm—"She swallowed hard. "It's overwhelming."
He smirked darkly, brushing a thumb along her lower lip—slow enough to feel sinful."Good."
The dragon's heat pressed into her back, strong hands framing her hips, claws barely restrained."Overwhelming is the beginning. You opened the Convergence. Now it will demand everything."
The celestial light around them twisted violently, forming three massive ethereal beasts:
—A colossal dragon of molten gold—A towering vampire wreathed in crimson fire—And in the center, a glowing figure shaped like Aeloria herself, formed of pure starlight
The vision staggered her.
"What is that?" she whispered.
The vampire slid his hand from her lip to her jaw, turning her face toward the star-figure."Your future. Your power."
The dragon leaned forward, breath hot against her neck."And your consequence."
The star-figure raised a hand.
Light rippled outward like shockwaves, slamming into the trio. Pain flared—sharp, intimate, binding. Aeloria gasped and grabbed onto the vampire's coat for support. The dragon's grip tightened around her waist, steadying her against his heat.
The star-figure spoke, voice layered with many:"Three fates cannot converge without cost."
Aeloria's pulse spiked. "What cost?"
The dragon stepped forward, wings forming behind him, massive and molten."The Convergence demands sacrifice."
The vampire's grip on her chin tightened, crimson eyes burning."The question is… what are you willing to give?"
The chamber darkened.
The star-figure's light narrowed into a single beam—and shot straight into Aeloria's heart.