The chamber shook as the prince opened his arms.
Red and gold light spiraled around him, twisting into a storm that made the Veil itself tremble. Lira felt the pull immediately — a sharp, tearing sensation in her chest, as if the shard inside him were calling to her.
Kael stepped in front of her, blade raised. "Stay behind me."
The prince laughed softly. "Still pretending you can protect her?"
Kael didn't flinch. "Not pretending."
The prince's smile sharpened. "Then watch closely. This is what she gave me."
He pressed a hand to his chest.
The shard pulsed.
Lira gasped, clutching her mark as pain shot through her like lightning. Kael caught her before she fell, holding her upright.
"Lira—"
"I'm fine," she whispered through clenched teeth. "He's trying to pull me toward it."
The prince tilted his head. "Not trying. Succeeding."
The chamber darkened.
The Veil's walls rippled like water.
"The Veil is responding to the fragment," Lira said. "It's showing us what he wants me to believe."
The prince stepped forward, his cloak trailing like smoke. "Believe? Astra, this is truth."
The memories beneath them brightened.
Astra laughing beside him in the lab.
Astra handing him a datapad, their fingers brushing.
Astra standing close to him, eyes soft.
Kael stiffened. "Lira… did this happen?"
Lira stared at the images, her heart pounding. "I… I don't know. I don't remember this."
The prince smiled. "Of course you don't. You buried it. You buried everything that didn't fit the story you wanted to tell yourself."
Kael's voice was low, dangerous. "She doesn't belong to you."
"She did," the prince said. "Before she chose fear. Before she chose weakness."
Lira stepped forward, fury rising. "Before I saw what you really were."
The prince's eyes flashed. "You saw what I could become. And you were afraid."
Kael moved closer to her, his presence grounding. "Don't listen to him."
But the memories kept shifting.
Astra leaning toward the prince.
Astra whispering something in his ear.
Astra touching his hand.
Lira's breath trembled. "No… this isn't right. I would remember this."
The prince's voice softened. "You remember what you want. But the Veil remembers everything."
Kael grabbed her hand. "Lira. Look at me."
She turned to him.
His eyes were steady, fierce, unwavering.
"You are not your past," he said. "You are not what he says you were. You are who you choose to be now."
Her heart tightened.
The prince's expression darkened. "Touching. But irrelevant."
He lifted his hand.
The shard inside him flared.
The memories beneath them shattered — exploding into shards of light that swirled around Lira like a storm.
She cried out as the shards pressed against her skin, whispering fragments of a life she couldn't fully remember.
Kael pulled her close, shielding her with his body. "Lira! Stay with me!"
The prince's voice echoed through the chamber. "You can't fight what you are."
Lira forced herself to stand, pushing away from Kael just enough to face the prince.
Her mark blazed with golden fire.
"I'm not Astra anymore," she said. "And I'm not yours."
The prince's smile faded.
For the first time, he looked truly angry.
"You think reclaiming one fragment makes you whole?" he hissed. "You think he"—he gestured at Kael—"can replace what we were?"
Kael stepped forward. "She doesn't need to replace anything. She's building something new."
The prince's eyes narrowed. "Then let's see how strong your new foundation is."
He raised both hands.
The chamber erupted.
A blast of red and gold energy shot toward them, tearing through the Veil like a blade.
Kael grabbed Lira, pulling her behind him as he braced for impact.
But Lira pushed forward.
Her mark ignited.
Golden light burst from her palm, colliding with the prince's attack in a blinding explosion.
The shockwave threw all three of them backward.
Kael hit the ground hard.
Lira staggered, barely catching herself.
The prince landed gracefully, barely shaken.
He wiped a smear of golden light from his cheek, eyes burning.
"So," he whispered, "you've grown."
Lira lifted her chin. "And I'm not done."
The prince smiled — slow, dangerous, hungry.
"Good," he said. "Because neither am I."
The Veil trembled.
The chamber cracked.
And the final battle for her soul began to take shape.
Kael moved closer to her, his presence grounding. "Don't listen to him."
But the memories kept shifting.
Astra leaning toward the prince.
Astra whispering something in his ear.
Astra touching his hand.
Lira's breath trembled. "No… this isn't right. I would remember this."
The prince's voice softened. "You remember what you want. But the Veil remembers everything."
Kael grabbed her hand. "Lira. Look at me."
She turned to him.
His eyes were steady, fierce, unwavering.
"You are not your past," he said. "You are not what he says you were. You are who you choose to be now."
Her heart tightened.
The prince's expression darkened. "Touching. But irrelevant."
He lifted his hand.
The shard inside him flared.
The memories beneath them shattered — exploding into shards of light that swirled around Lira like a storm.
She cried out as the shards pressed against her skin, whispering fragments of a life she couldn't fully remember.
Kael pulled her close, shielding her with his body. "Lira! Stay with me!"
The prince's voice echoed through the chamber. "You can't fight what you are."
Lira forced herself to stand, pushing away from Kael just enough to face the prince.
Her mark blazed with golden fire.
"I'm not Astra anymore," she said. "And I'm not yours."
The prince's smile faded.
For the first time, he looked truly angry.
"You think reclaiming one fragment makes you whole?" he hissed. "You think he"—he gestured at Kael—"can replace what we were?"
Kael stepped forward. "She doesn't need to replace anything. She's building something new."
The prince's eyes narrowed. "Then let's see how strong your new foundation is."
He raised both hands.