Aria's POV
"You're the last descendant of the Original Bloodline."
Kael's words hung in the air like smoke. I stared at him, trying to make sense of what he'd just said.
"The what?" My voice cracked.
Luna looked between us, her face pale. "Kael—wait, THE Kael? The Demon King from the history books? The one who—"
"Yes, yes, tried to destroy the world, got sealed away, very dramatic." Kael waved his hand impatiently, never taking his red eyes off me. "That's old news. This is much more interesting."
He moved closer to where I sat on the bed. The spirits in the room scattered, bowing even lower.
"A thousand years ago, there was a bloodline of tamers so powerful they could control anything with a soul—spirits, demons, gods, even death itself. They called it Soul Dominion." His voice got quieter, almost sad. "The last person with that power was named Aria. She was... she was everything."
My heart skipped. "That's my name."
"I know." Kael's eyes burned brighter. "When I saw you in that shrine, I thought you were just another desperate human. But the moment we touched, I felt it. The same soul signature. The same power sleeping inside you. You're not just named after her. You ARE her. Reincarnated."
"That's impossible," I whispered. "Reincarnation isn't real."
"Says the girl who just contracted with a demon and woke up with glowing purple eyes." Kael smirked. "Face it, little storm. Your entire life was a lie. You were never defective. Someone put a curse on you as a baby to lock away your power. They were terrified of what you might become."
The words hit me like a truck. "A curse? Someone cursed me?"
"Look at your left shoulder blade."
Luna helped me turn around. She gasped.
I couldn't see it, but Luna held up her phone so I could see the camera. On my left shoulder blade was a black mark—twisted symbols that looked like chains wrapped around a glowing purple circle.
"That's a Soul Seal," Kael said, his voice hard. "One of the most forbidden curse marks in existence. Someone put that on you when you were too young to fight back. It wrapped around your spiritual core and squeezed it shut. That's why you couldn't sense spirits. That's why you couldn't make contracts. Your power was trapped inside you, screaming to get out."
Rage burned in my chest. "Who? Who would do that to a baby?"
"Someone in your family who knew what you were." Kael crossed his arms. "Someone who was terrified that you'd grow up more powerful than all of them combined. Someone who wanted to make sure you stayed weak and controllable."
My parents' faces flashed in my mind. The way they'd always looked at me with disappointment. The way they'd treated Yuki like gold and me like garbage.
Had they known? Had they cursed their own daughter?
"The contract broke the seal," Kael continued. "That explosion of power you felt? That was twenty-four years of trapped energy finally breaking free. You're not at full strength yet—it'll take weeks for all that power to settle. But even now, you're already stronger than most master tamers."
I looked at my glowing hands. At the spirits still bowing around the room. At Luna, who looked like she might faint.
"So I'm... powerful now?"
"Powerful?" Kael laughed. "Little storm, you're going to be unstoppable. Soul Dominion means you can command any being with a soul. Spirits, demons, even other tamers' contracted beings. You could walk into that ceremony hall right now and make every single spirit in the building bow to you. Including your sister's precious Phoenix."
The thought sent a shiver through me. Yuki's Phoenix, kneeling before me. Ren watching as I proved I wasn't worthless. My parents realizing what they'd thrown away.
"When can I control it?" I asked.
"Eager for revenge already?" Kael's smile turned sharp. "I like that. But first, you need training. Right now, you're like a nuclear bomb without a trigger. All that power and no control. One wrong move and you could accidentally drain the life force from everyone in this building."
Luna squeaked and moved toward the door.
"Don't worry, best friend," I said quickly. "I won't hurt you."
"I know you won't." Luna's voice shook, but she came back and grabbed my hand. "I'm just... processing. Yesterday you couldn't see a single ghost. Today you're glowing purple and spirits are calling you Master. It's a lot."
"Tell me about it," I muttered.
Kael snapped his fingers. "We don't have time for emotional processing. The moment that seal broke, every powerful being in Tokyo felt it. Master tamers. Ancient spirits. Even the Tamer Council. They'll all be looking for the source of that power surge."
"What happens when they find me?" I asked.
"They'll either try to control you or kill you." Kael said it so casually, like he was discussing the weather. "The Council doesn't like wildcards. And a girl with Soul Dominion? You're the biggest wildcard in a thousand years. They'll see you as a threat."
"Let them come," I said, and I meant it. The rage from last night still burned in my chest. "I'm done being weak. Done being invisible. Done being thrown away like trash."
"That's the spirit." Kael's grin turned wicked. "But before you go declaring war on the tamer world, you need to learn how to use that power. Starting now."
He reached out and grabbed my wrist. Energy crackled between us—his dark red mixing with my purple.
"What are you doing?" I gasped.
"Opening the training link. We're bonded now, little storm. That means I can teach you directly, mind to mind. It'll be faster than normal training, but it's going to hurt. Your brain has to learn in days what usually takes years."
"I can handle pain," I said through gritted teeth.
"We'll see." Kael's eyes glowed brighter. "Lesson one: sensing spiritual energy. Close your eyes."
I did.
"Now tell me what you feel."
At first, I felt nothing. Then slowly, like turning up the volume on a radio, I started sensing... everything.
Luna's spiritual energy—warm and bright like sunshine. The spirits in the room—cold and quiet like whispers. And Kael—his energy was massive, dark, powerful enough to swallow the whole city.
But there was something else. Something far away but getting closer.
Three energy signatures moving fast through the city. Heading straight for this apartment.
"Kael," I whispered, eyes still closed. "Someone's coming."
"Good. You're sensing them already." He didn't sound worried. "Those are Council Enforcers. Elite tamers who hunt down threats. They probably tracked the residual energy from last night."
My eyes snapped open. "They're coming HERE? To kill me?"
"To investigate. Killing comes later if they don't like what they find." Kael released my wrist and stretched like a cat. "This is perfect timing, actually. Your first real test."
"Test?" Luna's voice went high with panic. "Aria just woke up an hour ago! She can't fight Council Enforcers!"
"She won't have to fight them." Kael's smile turned dangerous. "She's going to make them kneel."
Before I could ask what he meant, someone hammered on the apartment door.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
"Open up! Tamer Council official business!"
Luna looked at me with wide eyes. "What do we do?"
I felt the three energy signatures right outside the door. They were strong—much stronger than normal tamers. And they were ready for a fight.
The old Aria would have been terrified. Would have hidden. Would have begged them not to hurt her.
But I wasn't that Aria anymore.
I stood up from the bed. My purple eyes reflected in the mirror across the room. The marks on my hands glowed brighter.
"We open the door," I said calmly.
"Are you insane?" Luna hissed.
"Probably." I walked toward the door. "But I'm done hiding. Done being afraid. If they want to see what made that power surge last night..."
I grabbed the door handle.
"Then let's show them."
I threw the door open.
Three people stood in the hallway, all wearing the black uniforms of Council Enforcers. The woman in front had silver hair and cold gray eyes. Beside her stood two men, both radiating power.
The woman's eyes locked onto me. She stiffened.
"You," she breathed. "Your eyes... what are you?"
I smiled. Not a friendly smile. The kind of smile Yuki had given me last night when she stole everything I had.
"I'm Aria Nakamura," I said. "Though I guess I'm not a Nakamura anymore. My family threw me away yesterday. Called me defective. Worthless."
The woman's hand moved toward her weapon. "Your spiritual signature is off the charts. Are you the source of last night's power surge?"
"Maybe." I tilted my head. "Why? Is that a problem?"
"Unregistered power of that magnitude is illegal. You need to come with us for evaluation and possible containment."
"Containment." I let the word hang in the air. "Like a prisoner?"
"Like a threat," one of the men said. "Until we determine what you are."
Something inside me snapped.
I was so tired of people treating me like I was nothing. Like I was something to be controlled or thrown away or locked up.
Not anymore.
"Here's what's going to happen," I said quietly. "You're going to leave. You're going to tell your Council that you found nothing. And you're going to forget you ever saw me."
The woman laughed. "Or what? You'll—"
I didn't let her finish.
I raised my hand, and purple energy exploded from my palm. Not attacking them. Just... pushing.
All three Enforcers dropped to their knees.
Not because I forced them. Because their own spirits—the powerful beings they'd contracted with—suddenly bowed to me. And when a contracted spirit bows, the tamer has no choice but to follow.
The woman's eyes went wide with terror. "Impossible. My Thunder Spirit would never—"
"Your Thunder Spirit recognizes what I am," I said. Power hummed through my voice, making it echo. "Just like every spirit in this city will recognize me. I am Soul Dominion. I command all spirits. Including yours."
The spirits materialized beside their tamers—a Thunder Spirit, a Wind Spirit, and a Fire Spirit. All three legendary-class beings.
And all three bowed their heads to me.
"Master," they whispered in unison.
The Enforcers looked like they might pass out.
Behind me, Kael laughed softly. "Well done, little storm."
I looked down at the three kneeling Enforcers. These were the people who were supposed to protect the tamer world. The elite. The powerful.
And they were on their knees before me.
"Go," I said. "Tell whoever sent you that Aria Nakamura is not a threat to be contained. I'm something much worse."
"What are you?" the woman whispered.
I smiled.
"I'm their reckoning."
Purple energy pulsed from my body, and all three Enforcers scrambled backward, terror written on their faces. They ran down the hallway like demons were chasing them.
In a way, I guess one was.
I closed the door and turned around. Luna stared at me with her mouth open. Kael looked... proud?
"That," he said, "was beautiful. Terrifying, but beautiful."
My legs suddenly felt weak. The energy drained out of me all at once, and I collapsed.
Kael caught me before I hit the floor.
"Easy. Using that much power on day one has consequences." He carried me back to the bed. "You'll need to rest and recover."
"Did I... did I really just make three Council Enforcers run away?" My voice sounded small.
"You did." Luna sat beside me, squeezing my hand. "Aria, you were amazing. And terrifying. Mostly terrifying. But amazing."
I looked at Kael. "What happens now? They'll tell the Council. The Council will send more people."
"Let them." Kael's red eyes burned with excitement. "By the time they come back, you'll be even stronger. And then we'll send an even clearer message."
"What message?"
His smile turned wicked.
"That the old rules don't apply anymore. That there's a new power in Tokyo. And her name is Aria."
I should have been scared. Should have worried about what I'd just done.
But all I felt was satisfaction.
For the first time in my life, people had looked at me and seen power. Seen someone to be feared, not pitied.
It felt amazing.
"Rest now," Kael said. "Tomorrow, your real training begins. And then..." His smile grew wider. "Then we pay a visit to your dear family. I think it's time they met the new you."
My heart raced at the thought.
Yuki. Ren. My parents.
They'd thrown me away thinking I was nothing.
Soon, they'd learn just how wrong they were.
I closed my eyes, exhaustion pulling me under.
But just before sleep took me, I heard Kael whisper something.
"Welcome back, my storm. I've waited a thousand years for you."
And in my dreams, I saw visions of another life. Another time. Another Aria who had loved a demon king and paid the ultimate price.
Was I really her? Really the reincarnation of someone who'd died a thousand years ago?
I didn't know.
But I was about to find out.