Riyana held tightly onto Sohan's arm.
Her hands were trembling.
Her breathing was uneven.
Sohan looked at her, his expression filled with confusion, fear, and anger all at once.
"Tell me what happened?" Sohan said.
Riyana swallowed hard.
She took a deep breath.
Then she finally began talking.
"Years ago… when you got into a deep slumber after that fight between you and that man… they were after me and Ariz when he was a baby."
Sohan stared at her.
Riyana continued.
"Then I ran into a group of women. They saved me that day and told me if I ever needed anything or needed help in the future, I should call them using a gem."
She looked down at her hands.
"I thought it was just a normal black gem."
Her voice became quieter.
"But Sohan…"
She looked directly into his eyes.
"It wasn't a normal gem."
Sohan's expression changed.
"It was an ancient gem."
The room became silent.
"And then…"
Riyana's voice trembled.
"That was what led to Lilith's real birth."
Sohan stared at her.
"What do you mean by Lilith's real birth?" he asked.
Riyana closed her eyes.
And the memories came rushing back.
Flashback — Years Ago
It was nighttime.
A violent storm had taken over the forest.
Rain poured from the dark sky.
Thunder shook the earth.
Lightning illuminated the trees for only seconds at a time.
Riyana was running.
She was heavily pregnant.
Her forehead was bleeding.
Her clothes were soaked.
Her breathing was ragged.
She held her pregnant belly as she desperately crawled across the muddy ground.
"FIND THAT HOE!" one of the women screamed.
Men scattered throughout the forest.
They searched between the trees.
They searched behind rocks.
They searched everywhere.
Riyana crawled toward a massive ancient tree and hid inside its hollow trunk.
Her hands trembled as she held her stomach.
She wore the black gem necklace around her neck.
"Please…"
Her voice was barely audible.
"Anyone…"
She swallowed.
"H…h…h…help…"
The black gem suddenly began glowing.
Far away, inside an ancient temple, the glow appeared.
The leader sat silently.
Her eyes were closed.
Then she heard the whisper.
Her silver eyes slowly opened.
She stood.
Without saying another word, she walked out of the temple.
Back in the forest, Riyana held her bump.
She waited.
Nobody was around.
She slowly crawled out.
Then she began running again.
"There she is!" one of the men shouted.
Riyana looked behind her.
They were coming.
They chased her through the forest.
Inside her womb, Baby Lily kicked.
Riyana gasped.
She grabbed her stomach.
"Please… baby…"
She continued running.
She tried to bear the pain.
Meanwhile, Sohan was in the same forest.
He was desperately searching for his pregnant wife.
"RIA!!!!"
His voice echoed throughout the forest.
He saw one of the men.
Without hesitation, he attacked him and beheaded the goon before running deeper into the forest.
"RIA!"
Riyana kept running.
Then she saw them.
A group of women stood on the trees.
They wore masks.
Their eyes glowed through the darkness.
Their swords were already drawn.
"Maa, should we kill them?" one of the girls asked.
"Not yet," the leader said.
Suddenly, another woman grabbed Riyana.
"You bitch!" she shouted.
She slapped Riyana.
Riyana stumbled.
The woman pushed her.
Riyana fell onto the wet ground.
Then suddenly—
Her water broke.
Riyana grabbed her belly.
"SOHAN!!!!!!!!!!!"
Her scream tore through the forest.
Sohan heard it.
"RIAAAA!!!"
He ran toward her.
The rain became heavier.
Thunder struck.
Lightning flashed across the sky.
The women standing on the trees remained completely still.
Their swords were bloody.
The woman who had pushed Riyana lay on the ground.
Her head was bleeding.
The leader sat calmly as the others covered Riyana with their cloaks.
The leader approached her.
She helped Riyana sit up.
She wiped the blood from Riyana's wounds.
"What do we get in return as we help you?" the leader asked.
Riyana was crying.
"M…my loyalty," she whispered.
"I…I want my baby to be safe."
She held her stomach.
"I want to protect my family."
The leader stared at her.
"Then you will offer something to us."
Riyana screamed.
She pushed.
And pushed.
And pushed.
Finally—
A loud and powerful cry filled the forest.
"It's a girl," one of the women said.
The sky roared.
Everyone looked upward.
The leader smiled.
"Not just a girl…"
She looked at the newborn.
"But a Queen is born."
She raised Baby Lilith into the sky.
Every woman immediately bowed.
Sohan finally reached the area.
Then he heard it.
A baby crying.
"Ria! I'm coming!" he shouted.
The leader looked down at Baby Lilith.
"Your daughter's energy is the strongest we have ever felt."
Riyana stared at her baby.
"We will always be there for you."
The leader continued.
"In return, you give your baby to us."
Riyana froze.
"She will be our ruler."
The woman looked directly into Riyana's eyes.
"She is now bound with our clan."
"Do you accept?"
Riyana stared at Baby Lily.
The other woman stepped forward.
"Don't you want your family and your newborn baby safe?"
Riyana looked at her.
"They tortured you."
"They made you feel so much pain."
"You have bled too much."
"So now, Riyana…"
The woman smiled coldly.
"Make the right decision."
Riyana looked down at her newborn daughter.
Tears streamed down her face.
"I…I accept," she whispered.
The leader smiled.
"Her name will be Baneva."
"Our Future Queen."
She raised her hand.
"We will come for Our Future Queen, Riyana."
"Don't forget."
"She is now bound to us."
A red thread appeared.
It wrapped around Baby Lily's tiny hand.
The women wrapped the baby in a black blanket.
Then—
"RIA!!"
Sohan arrived.
Riyana sobbed.
She held Lilith close.
Her legs were covered in blood.
Sohan saw her.
He rushed toward her.
"Darling!?"
Then he saw his daughter.
His eyes widened.
"S…Sohan?" Riyana whispered.
Mr. Noman and several men arrived just in time.
Sohan immediately held Lilith in his arms.
"T…take care of her," Riyana whispered.
Mr. Noman took Baby Lilith.
Sohan carried her carefully.
Riyana was weak.
Her eyes slowly blinked.
She looked at them.
She blinked again.
And then—
They were gone.
It was as if they had vanished into the air.
And that was how Lilith's true birth was over.
The Years That Followed
Over the years, they kept an eye on Lilith.
Riyana became a member of the cult.
At night, the leader would somehow appear inside Baby Lilith's room.
She would rock her.
She would feed her milk.
She would watch her sleep.
Then, when Riyana had that accident that separated her from the family, the cult saved her again.
They healed her.
She stayed with them for sixteen years.
Until she eventually left.
They trained her.
They taught her their chants.
They taught her their traditions.
They taught her the secrets of their ancient order.
Riyana eventually became one of the higher-ranking members of the cult.
Flashback Ends
Sohan was stunned.
Speechless.
Even the brothers who had come into the room during the middle of the story were standing there frozen.
They had secretly overheard everything.
"Jesus Christ," David said.
Karim stared at his mother.
"You mean… in exchange for the family's protection, you sold our daughter's soul and life to an ancient secret cult?"
Riyana immediately shook her head.
"They helped you give birth to our daughter."
Sohan continued.
"And the leader is now dead, and they are after Lilith?"
"They gave her the name Baneva?"
"Not you."
"And now they are after you to fulfill the promise you made to them?"
He stared at her in disbelief.
"In conclusion…"
Sohan's voice trembled.
"You sold our daughter to the devil?"
Riyana's tears came down.
"I…I…I wanted you all to be safe."
"I didn't sell her soul."
"They made a deal."
"They saved me three times."
"Then she…"
Her voice broke.
"She is now dead."
"They want Lily to take her place."
"They want her to rule."
Rafsan covered his face.
"Fuck!"
The boys were frustrated.
Sohan slowly stood.
His hands slowly left Riyana.
His eyes became dizzy.
He walked toward the door.
Before he could fall—
Taran, Massimo, caught him.
"Got you," Taran said.
"Brother?" Elena asked, tears filling her eyes.
Desmond immediately held Sohan.
"W…why would you do that to our daughter!?" Sohan asked, holding his chest.
"I didn't do it!"
Riyana cried.
"I wanted her safe!"
"That night, they were going to kill her!"
"And after that accident and my disappearance, they took me in for years!"
Riyana sobbed.
Sohan became even more dizzy.
Then—
He passed out.
"Bro?" Desmond said, tapping his face.
"Sohan?" Riyana cried, holding him.
Dr. Leonid rushed over.
"Check him!"
He examined Sohan.
"He got a heart attack," Dr. Leonid said.
Everyone froze.
They immediately laid Sohan down and began treating him.
Lilith's Final Match Day
Lilith woke up.
She yawned.
Today was the last match day.
She had made it to the finals.
She got up and headed toward the training room.
Meanwhile, Gloria sat quietly holding a picture of Valen.
Yesterday, the lady he had been dating had died in a car crash.
That was what everyone believed.
They did not know the truth.
They did not know she and her entire family had been killed.
Gloria's body was still thicker, but her face was healthy because of the diet plans she had been following.
Her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
It was her mother.
"Hi, Mom," Gloria said.
"Hello, my angel. How are you?" her mother asked.
"I'm fine, Mom. And you?"
"I'm doing great, baby."
Her mother smiled through the call.
"Actually, I wanted to hear your voice. I missed you so much."
"I missed you too, Mom," Gloria said.
"Oh, also, your brother is coming next year!"
"Really? That's great, Mom," Gloria replied.
"Yeah. Also, his friend too."
Gloria paused.
"Remember the one you had a crush on?"
"That old thing, Mama. I'm grown up now, so it's nothing," Gloria said.
"Yeah, yeah."
Her mother laughed.
"Besides, I'm not going out of the country next year. I have business trips. So please, my baby, they will stay with you."
"Okay, Mom. Love you."
"Love you too."
The call ended.
Gloria looked at the picture one more time.
"You're far from me."
She hugged the picture.
"You hurt me so much, V."
Her voice trembled.
"I don't know how I'm living without you."
"But the love is strong."
"We sealed our marriage bond."
"Why?"
She whispered the final word while holding the picture tightly.
Somewhere in Another Country
In another country, a massive man stood in the darkness.
He was 7'2".
They called him the Venomous Beast.
He grabbed a woman.
Then—
He snapped her neck.
The woman dropped.
"All clear, Boss. Our project is also done," another woman said.
He nodded.
Then he blew out his cigarette.
Back Home
Giselle was crying.
Lilith came home after hearing about Sohan's heart attack.
"What happened to Baba?" she asked.
She immediately sat beside him.
She took Giselle into her arms to stop her from crying.
"Shhh… Mama's here," Lilith whispered.
She rocked her gently.
"It's just a little matter. He had a fight with Mumma and he passed out," Karim said softly.
"Why were they fighting?" Lilith asked.
She was still wearing her uniform.
Her match was at four.
Riyana gripped her scarf tightly, trying to hold back her tears.
Giselle sucked on her pacifier while making grabbing motions toward her grandfather.
"You want Grandpa?" Nihal asked.
"Aaaah," Giselle cooed.
Nikolai gently rubbed her hair.
Ten minutes later—
Sohan woke up.
Giselle was tapping his face.
"Hey, sweetie," he said weakly.
She squeaked happily.
"Elle?" he whispered.
She cooed.
Sohan sat upright and sighed.
"Got knocked out, huh?" he said.
Giselle made a little humming sound.
He kissed her forehead.
"Baba, are you okay?" Lily asked.
Sohan looked at his daughter.
Then he hugged her tightly.
"How was your match?" he asked.
"You're just on time. I'm leaving now," she said.
Giselle was in Sohan's arms.
"Why did you pass out? Huh? Did you and Mumma fight?" Lilith asked.
"She did something wrong, and it affected all my kids," he said angrily.
"Baba…"
Lilith looked at him.
"She must have a reason, right?"
Sohan remained silent.
"And also, look."
"If you were in her shoes, hm…"
"Wouldn't you do the same for your family?"
Those words pierced into him.
"What if she didn't have another option?"
"What if she had no way out?"
"What if she wasn't aware of the consequences later on?"
"It's not her fault in whatever happened between you both."
"She was in a tight situation."
"She had no choice."
"She just wanted to survive for us."
Lilith held his hand.
"Baba…"
"Please forgive her."
Sohan's tears came down.
He hugged his daughter.
Giselle suddenly screamed.
"Oh, I'm sorry, love," Lilith said.
Sohan chuckled at his granddaughter.
The Final Match
At school, everyone in the family wore masks.
The girls stayed in the arms of the single ones.
Nikolai held both his girls.
The match began.
Lilith tied her blue belt.
It meant she was an advanced learner.
The crowd was incredibly loud.
Nikolai watched as his tiny wife moved into the ring.
The bell for the first round rang.
The fight began.
Lilith delivered a twisted kick.
Then an uppercut.
Her opponent was knocked out in under 0.4 seconds.
The crowd went wild.
Sohan clapped.
"First round, Lilith!" the referee announced.
Everyone clapped.
Two hours later—
After seven matches—
Lilith's fingers were broken.
Nikolai wiped the blood from her hands.
He gave her water.
Her teeth were bleeding.
The last match was in ten minutes.
Students gathered around her.
"Lilith, you've got to step out of this one!"
Then she saw her opponent.
The Draxen Imperial Academy had sent an extremely tall girl with muscles.
The girl walked out.
Everyone gasped.
"She's worse than before," someone whispered.
Lilith spat blood.
"Bambi…"
Nikolai stared at the girl.
"That girl is huge, love. Are you sure?"
Lilith looked at the girl.
The opponent made a sign with her hand.
It clearly meant—
You're going to die.
Lilith picked up an energy drink.
She drank it.
Then she closed her eyes.
"Give me strength, Lord Shiv," Lily whispered.
Sohan's grip softened on her shoulders.
The Ancient Temple
Meanwhile, inside the ancient temple, darkness surrounded the leader.
Dark energy wrapped around her body.
She smiled.
"Beneva has a battle to win," she said.
The women behind her shook their anklets.
The sound echoed.
Lilith suddenly heard them.
She looked around.
Then she went back to her family.
"Baba…"
Sohan looked at her.
"I'm hearing anklet sounds."
Riyana and Sohan looked at each other.
"Many?" Riyana asked.
"Yes."
Lilith nodded.
"Like really many."
She paused.
"And also the lululululul too."
Riyana gripped her veil.
Then she kissed Lily's forehead.
"Don't worry, my baby. Just focus on your match," she said.
"Hmm. Okay, Mumma," Lilith replied.
She took both their blessings.
Then she went back into the ring.
BENEVA
"THROW!"
The girl grabbed Lilith.
She threw her into the wall.
THUD!
Everyone gasped.
"Boss!" Amelia shouted.
"Mama!" Mila cried.
The babies were in carriers.
Lilith spat blood.
The girl laughed.
"Really? You're the best this shitty school has?"
She looked around.
"The Draven Imperial Academy!"
The academy crowd laughed.
Sohan gripped the chair.
"Mmmmmm," Rhea murmured.
The girl grabbed Lilith by her hair.
Inside the ancient temple, the women stood behind the dark-energy-covered leader.
One woman mixed ashes.
Another began chanting.
Their voices became one.
Inside Lilith's body, her heart began beating faster.
The opponent raised her hand.
She prepared to give Lilith the final blow.
Then—
"BENEVA!!!!!"
The women shouted.
Their voices did not echo through the loud halls.
They echoed directly inside Lilith's mind.
"BENEVA!"
Lilith's hand tightened.
Her body trembled.
Then Rhea began crying loudly.
That triggered something inside Lilith.
Her eyes suddenly burst open.
She grabbed the girl's hand.
Then she flipped her entire body.
Nikolai's eyes widened.
Lilith's legs locked around the girl's neck.
She tightened her grip.
Then—
She punched.
Not once.
Not twice.
Not three times.
Multiple powerful punches.
The crowd screamed.
Lilith's eyes began glowing.
Riyana saw it.
Her eyes widened.
"Her eyes…"
She pointed toward Lilith.
"They're glowing."
Everyone looked.
Riyana shook her head.
"No…"
She stared at her daughter.
"No…"
Then—
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Lilith screamed.
She continued punching.
The girl's nose began bleeding.
Her entire face became covered in blood.
Rhea was in Nathan's arms.
Lilith placed both her legs around the girl's neck.
The girl was incredibly strong.
But somehow—
Lilith found an unbelievable amount of strength.
She flipped the girl backward.
Her body slammed onto the floor.
The girl passed out.
THUMP!
Her body hit the ring so heavily that the entire ring collapsed.
Everyone became completely silent.
Lilith screamed.
"AHHHHH!!!!"
She was breathing helplessly.
One clap.
Then two.
Then—
Multiple claps.
The entire school erupted.
"LILITH!"
"LILITH!"
"LILITH!"
"LILITH!"
They cheered.
Lilith breathed heavily.
She slowly walked back toward the bench.
Then she became dizzy.
Her body collapsed.
"Gotta Princess," Nikolai said.
She had fainted.
He picked her up.
Ms. Maho gave the trophy, black belt, and medal to the family.
They took Lilith home.
The Prophecy
By sunrise, Lilith had a drip attached to her hand.
She was asleep.
But her eyes were glowing beneath her closed eyelids.
Sohan stared at her.
"Her eyes are glowing," he said.
Riyana buried her face in her hands.
"What do we do now?" Rafsan asked.
He held Tasnim, who continued sucking her thumb.
Amelia sat beside them.
Lilith was asleep.
"Let her rest," Nikolai said.
"Of course, Brother," Arina replied.
Mila walked over.
She kissed her mama's forehead.
"I wuv you, Mama," she whispered.
Then she went outside.
Sohan looked at Riyana.
"How can we cut ties with them from Lily?"
Riyana slowly lifted her head.
"We can't."
"Why?" Sohan asked.
"It's the prophecy made about the child," Riyana said.
Everyone looked at her.
"What prophecy?" Farhan asked.
Riyana took a deep breath.
"When the child is born…"
She looked at Lilith.
"The Ancient Flower shall bloom."
"The flower that has slept beneath the earth since before the first crown was forged…"
"Before the first kingdom was named…"
"Before the oldest bloodline remembered its beginning…"
"The Black Lotus shall open its first petal."
"And when the final petal unfolds, the world shall know that the child has drawn her first breath."
"No hand shall plant it."
"No river shall feed it."
"No priest shall command it."
"It shall bloom by the will of the Ancient Darkness."
"Its roots shall awaken beneath forgotten temples."
"Its shadow shall cross the mountains."
"Its scent shall reach the halls of kings."
"And every keeper of the ancient blood shall know the meaning of its blossom."
Riyana's voice became deeper.
"THE HEIR HAS ARRIVED."
Everyone remained silent.
"The child shall carry the blood of the forgotten."
"She shall possess the eyes of the night and the silence of the grave."
"She shall inherit the secrets that were buried with kings."
"She shall awaken the throne that has remained empty since the First Age."
"The ancient guardians shall emerge from hiding."
"The Seven Veiled Houses shall kneel."
"The Thirteen Keepers shall swear their blood oaths."
"And the Black Lotus shall become the seal of her reign."
"She shall not seek the crown."
"The crown shall seek her."
"She shall not conquer the throne."
"The throne shall recognize its rightful Queen."
"When she speaks, the ancient covenant shall awaken."
"When she commands, the hidden kingdoms shall answer."
"When she raises her hand, the banners of the old rulers shall fall."
"For she is not merely the daughter of a bloodline."
"She is the return of the bloodline."
"She is not merely the heir."
"She is the ending of the old succession."
"There shall be no king above her."
"There shall be no council before her."
"There shall be no throne beside hers."
"There shall be only one crown."
"One throne."
"One Queen."
Riyana looked at Lilith.
"THE NEW QUEEN OF THE BLACK LOTUS."
Her voice fell into a whisper.
"And when the ancient flower blooms for the first time in a thousand generations…"
"Do not celebrate."
"Do not pray."
"Do not run."
"Remember."
"For the blossom is not a blessing."
"It is the warning."
"The darkness has found its Queen."
"The forgotten throne has awakened."
"The ancient age has ended."
"And her reign has begun."
Silence filled the room.
"Good Lord," Nihal whispered.
He covered his face.
Then Nikolai looked at Riyana.
"But when Lilith was born…"
"Did the Lotus blossom?"
There was a brief silence.
Riyana slowly nodded.
"Yes."
"It did."
She stood up.
She walked toward her daughter.
Then she gently moved Lilith's head.
She flipped her hair toward the left.
Everyone stared.
Finally—
They saw it.
A mark.
A Lotus.
And inside the Lotus was a black crown.
Sohan slowly reached out.
He touched the mark.
"Was she born with it?" Asif asked.
"No, brother."
Riyana shook her head.
"It was three months after her birth."
"Remember those nights when she would cry loudly?"
"We took her to the hospital."
"We took her to different places."
"We tried everything to make her stop crying."
"But the mark…"
"It was coming out on its own."
Everyone stared at Lilith.
She remained peacefully asleep.
The black lotus mark remained visible beneath her hair.
The room was silent.
The prophecy was no longer simply a story.
It was written on their daughter.
The House Club
"We got the best college for the party!" Abellona announced.
"Oh shit!"
"Drinks!" Yulian shouted.
Virsa and Yulian had gotten married on September 5.
The girls were now twelve months old.
They entered the House Club.
It was enormous.
The family had also hired a famous DJ.
Music filled the enormous venue.
Workers were everywhere.
Some were cleaning.
Others were decorating.
Others were preparing food.
Others were setting up the lights.
Nikolai strapped Mila safely into the car with the girls.
"Bye-bye, Papa!" Mila said.
"Bye, Mil," Nikolai replied.
He kissed their foreheads.
"Take care of Mama, okay?"
Mila nodded.
"Otay?"
"Of course, my love," Nikolai said.
The doors closed shut.
Mila waved at him through the window.
Nikolai waved back.
Around them, workers continued moving throughout the estate.
The party preparations had begun.
But none of them knew that while the family was preparing for celebration…
An ancient prophecy had already begun to awaken.
The Black Lotus had opened.
The Queen had been recognized.
And somewhere beyond the world they knew…
The ancient ones were waiting for Baneva to return.