We fell.
Not far—maybe twenty feet—but enough to knock the wind out of me. Enough to send me sprawling. Enough to—
*To separate us.*
I scrambled up, shifting to Lycan form, claws extended, power surging, ready to fight—
*Nothing.*
The chamber was empty.
Huge. Ancient. Stone walls covered in symbols I didn't recognize. But empty.
*Everyone?* I sent through the Lycan network. *Report.*
*Here,* Selene responded immediately. *Unharmed.*
*Same,* Rowan sent. *That was a trap. A well-made one.*
*Ancient magic,* Valerica added. *This place... it's been here a long time. Centuries. Maybe—*
*Maybe millennia.*
*Helga?* I called.
*Present.* The vampire elder sounded amused. *That was exhilarating. I haven't fallen into a pit trap in... three hundred years?*
*Focus,* I said. *We need to figure out where we are. What this place is. And—*
*And who put us here.*
I looked around the chamber. It was circular—a massive underground room with a high ceiling lost in darkness. Torches lined the walls, unlit. Strange symbols carved into stone. And in the center—
*A throne.*
Not a fancy throne. Not a golden throne. A simple stone seat. Weathered. Ancient. Like—
*Like it's been waiting.*
*For what?* Rowan asked, approaching the throne cautiously.
*For us,* I realized. *For me. This place... it was built for Lycans. By Lycans. The symbols—* I touched the nearest wall, tracing the carvings *—they're Lycan script. Ancient. From before the Great War. From—*
*From the beginning.*
*Lycaon's time,* Selene realized. *This is from the first generation. From when the first Lycans walked the earth.*
*Why would they build this?* Valerica asked. *What was it for?*
*I don't know.* I approached the throne. *But I think—*
*Think what?* Helga challenged.
*I think we're about to find out.*
I reached out. Touched the throne.
*And the room woke.*
Torches flared to life around us. Not magical fire—real fire. Ancient oil that still burned after thousands of years.
Light flooded the chamber.
And I saw it.
Behind the throne. On the wall. A carving. Massive. Intricate. Telling a story.
I stepped closer, squinting at the ancient images.
*What is it?* Rowan joined me. *What are we looking at?*
*A history,* Selene said, also approaching. *Our history. The Lycan history.*
I looked at the carving—looked at the figures depicted, the scenes shown, the story told—
*And froze.*
*That's—*
*Yes.* Selene's mental voice was grim. *That's Lycaon. The first Lycan king. The one who possessed you. The one who—*
*Who defeated the triad.*
*And that's—* I pointed to the next figure.
*His daughter,* Selene said. *The first Lycan queen after him. Maria. Your—*
*My ancestor.*
*And that's—*
*His son.* I stared at the carving. *Lycaon had a son?*
*Yes.* Selene's mental voice dropped. *But the histories... they said he died. That he was killed in the first purge. That—*
*That he never existed.*
*Someone lied,* Rowan realized. *Someone erased him from history. Someone—*
*Someone rewrote the story.*
I kept looking at the carvings—kept following the story they told. Lycaon. His daughter. His son. The son's betrayal. The war between siblings. The son's defeat. His imprisonment. His—
*Wait.* I stopped. *Imprisonment?*
*Yes.* Selene pointed to the next carving. *See? They're sealing him away. Binding him. Locking him—*
*In here.*
*This isn't just a throne room,* I realized. *It's a prison. This entire place—*
*It's a cage.*
For Lycaon's son.
For the first Lycan king's heir.
For—
*The Forgotten One.*
*The one who remembers,* I said aloud. *The intruders said they came from the one who remembers. The one who was forgotten. They meant—*
*Him.*
*But he's imprisoned,* Valerica pointed out. *Locked away. Bound. How can he be sending messengers? How can he be—*
*How can he be coming back?*
*I don't think he is,* I said slowly. *Not yet. But someone is trying to free him. Someone is trying to break the seals. Someone—*
*Followers,* Helga realized. *Loyalists. Cultists. People who believe he was the rightful heir. That he was wrongfully imprisoned. That—*
*That he deserves to rule.*
*And they're going to free him,* I said. *That's what the intruders meant. The past is coming. The one who was forgotten will rise again. They're not just talking about history. They're talking about—*
*About resurrection. About revolution. About war.*
*Then we need to stop them,* Valerica said simply. *Before they free him. Before—*
*Before it's too late.*
*How?* Rowan asked. *This place is ancient. The magic that binds him—how do we reinforce it? How do we—*
*How do we keep him sealed?*
I looked at the throne. At the carvings. At the symbols that covered every surface.
*I think,* I said slowly, *that's what I'm here for.*
*What do you mean?*
I approached the throne again. Touched the armrest. Felt the power humming beneath the stone—
*And understood.*
*This place was built to be maintained,* I realized. *The seals aren't permanent. They need to be refreshed. Renewed. By—*
*By Lycan royalty.*
*By you,* Selene finished. *By the bloodline. Lycaon's line. Maria's line. Your—*
*My line.*
*I can feel it,* I said. *The seals. They're... old. Fading. Weakening. After thousands of years, the magic is—*
*Is dying.*
*And if it dies,* Valerica said, *he escapes.*
*Yes.*
*Then refresh them,* Helga urged. *Do whatever you need to do. Strengthen the seals. Bind him tighter. Keep him—*
*Keep him imprisoned,* Helga urged.
I closed my eyes. Reached out with the Lycan network. Reached deep—deeper than I'd ever reached before. Down to the ancient magic that flowed through this place. That bound the prisoner. That kept him—
*Contained.*
*And I felt him.*
The prisoner.
Lycaon's son.
The Forgotten One.
He was there. Beyond the seals. Beyond the wards. Beyond—
*Beyond time.*
He felt me too.
*Daughter,* he sent. *You've come. Finally.*
*I'm not your daughter,* I sent back. *I'm Lycaon's heir. Maria's heir. The one who—*
*Who defeated the triad. I know. I've been watching. Waiting. Knowing you'd come. That you'd—*
*That you'd free me.*
*I'm not going to free you,* I said firmly. *I'm here to strengthen the seals. To keep you imprisoned. To—*
*To ensure you never escape.*
The prisoner's mental presence shifted. Darkened.
*Why?* he demanded. *I am the rightful heir. The firstborn son. The one who should have ruled. But she—* I felt his hate, burning across the centuries *—she took it from me. My sister. My father's favorite. The one he chose over me. The one who—*
*Who was worthy.*
*WORTHY?* The prisoner's mental voice exploded with rage. *She was weak! Soft! Merciful! She would have led us to ruin! I was the strong one! The ruthless one! The one willing to do what was necessary! I should have been king! I SHOULD HAVE BEEN—*
*You were a monster,* I said calmly. *That's why you were imprisoned. That's why the history was erased. That's why no one remembers you. Because you didn't deserve to be remembered.*
*LIES.* The prisoner's presence slammed against the seals *—ALL LIES. SHE BETRAYED ME. SHE STOLE WHAT WAS MINE. AND NOW—*
*And now you're going to stay exactly where you are,* I cut him off. *Forever.*
I poured power into the seals—drew from the Lycan network, from my own strength, from everything I was—*
*And reinforced them.*
The prisoner howled—in rage, in frustration, in impotent fury—
*I WILL ESCAPE,* he promised. *SOONER OR LATER, THE SEALS WILL BREAK. THE MAGIC WILL FADE. AND I WILL BE FREE. AND WHEN I AM—*
*When you are,* I finished, *I'll be waiting. With everything I am. With everything I have. With—*
*With the entire supernatural world.*
*The council,* Rowan realized. *The alliance. That's why it exists. That's why it formed. Not just to defeat the Inquisition. To defeat you. To—*
*To end you forever.*
The prisoner's presence receded. But not before making one final promise:
*I am coming, Elena. Sooner than you think. My followers are already working. Already planning. Already—*
*Already breaking the seals from the outside.*
I opened my eyes. Stepped back from the throne. Breathed.
*He's right,* I said. *The seals are stronger now. But they won't last forever. They need regular maintenance. Constant renewal. Or—*
*Or he escapes,* Valerica said grimly.
*How often?* Valerica asked. *How often do they need to be refreshed?*
*I don't know,* I admitted. *Monthly? Weekly? Daily? I've never done this before. I'll need to figure it out. Trial and error.*
*Then we return regularly,* Selene decided. *All of us. The council. We maintain the seals together. We—*
*We share the burden.*
*No.* I shook my head. *This is Lycan business. Lycan history. My responsibility. Not—*
*Not ours too?* Helga challenged. *We're part of this alliance, Elena. We share the victories. We share the burdens. We—*
*We fight together.*
*You can't even enter the seals,* I pointed out. *They're keyed to Lycan blood. Only someone of Lycaon's line can—*
*Can access the inner chamber,* Rowan finished. *But we can guard the entrance. We can patrol the area. We can make sure no one—*
*No one tries to free him,* Rowan finished.
*Okay.* I looked at each of them. *Thank you. All of you. For coming. For helping. For—*
*For being here.*
*Always.*
We started toward the exit—toward the corridor we'd fallen through, toward the stairs that led back to the surface.
*Wait,* Selene said suddenly. *There's something—*
*What?*
*On the wall,* she said. *Near the exit. Another carving. One we didn't see when we came in.*
I approached the wall. Looked where she pointed.
*It's...* I squinted. *A prophecy?*
*Read it,* Valerica urged.
I did. Translating the ancient Lycan script, struggling with the archaic language:
*When the Forgotten One stirs,**When the seals begin to break,**When the son returns to claim his throne—*
*A daughter will rise.**A queen will stand.**A bloodline will be tested.*
*Three children of the moon.**Three heirs of the first.**Three paths to war or peace.*
*The first will lead.**The second will see.**The third will remember.*
*And only together—**Only united—**Only whole—*
*Can they defeat the darkness.**Can they seal the past.**Can they—*
*Can they save the future.*
I stared at the prophecy. At the words. At the—*
*At the truth.*
*Three children,* Rowan said quietly. *Felix. Darius. Lucian.*
*The first will lead,* I translated. *Felix. The firstborn. The heir.*
*The second will see,* Selene continued. *Darius. The one with visions. The one who—*
*Who sees everything,* Selene finished.
*The third will remember,* Helga finished. *Lucian. The one who was lost. The one who—*
*Who was forgotten,* Helga said quietly.
Just like the Forgotten One.
*They're the key,* I realized. *My children. They're not just... they're not just my children. They're the ones mentioned in the prophecy. The ones who can—*
*Who can end this,* I realized.
*Or who can destroy everything,* Valerica added. *It says three paths to war or peace. They could go either way.*
*Not if I raise them right,* I said fiercely. *Not if I teach them. Guide them. Love them. They'll choose peace. They'll choose each other. They'll choose—*
*To save the future,* I finished fiercely.
*But they'll be tested,* Rowan warned. *The prophecy says they'll be tested. Their bond. Their unity. Their—*
*Their love,* Rowan warned.
I thought about Felix—the natural leader, the one who wanted to be strong like us. About Darius—the seer, the one who felt too much, saw too much, knew too much. About Lucian—the forgotten one, the one who'd been lost and found, who understood darkness better than any child should.
*They can do this,* I said. *Together. They can face whatever comes. Whatever the Forgotten One throws at them. Whatever—*
*Whatever the test is,* I finished.
*We'll help them,* Selene promised. *All of us. The council. The alliance. We'll teach them. Train them. Prepare them. For—*
*For everything,* Selene promised.
*Good.* I turned back to the prophecy. Read it one more time. Memorized it. *Then let's go home. I need to see them. To hold them. To—*
*To love them,* I finished softly.
We climbed the stairs. Returned to the surface. Emerged from the ancient building into the sunlight.
*I'll return regularly,* I promised. *To refresh the seals. To check on the prisoner. To—*
*To keep him contained,* I said firmly.
*We'll patrol,* Valerica said. *Our forces. Vampire, witch, shifter—we'll monitor the area. Make sure no cultists approach. Make sure—*
*Make sure he stays buried,* Valerica finished.
*Thank you.*
*No thanks needed,* Helga said. *We're in this together. Remember?*
*I remember.*
I looked back at the ancient building one last time. At the prison beneath. At the monster within—
*And started the journey home.*
To my children.
To my mate.
To my pack.
To—*
*To everything that mattered.*