The bodies were still on the floor.
The air still thick with the aftermath of power.
And yet—
Everything had changed.
"They made their move."
Kael's voice was low.
Cold.
Controlled in a way that made it more dangerous.
"Now I make mine."
The words settled like a storm waiting to break.
I watched him carefully.
"You're going to start a war."
It wasn't a question.
It was already happening.
Kael didn't deny it.
"They started it the moment they sent assassins into my palace."
His gaze dropped briefly to the broken bodies.
Then returned to me.
Sharp.
Focused.
"And they made a mistake."
My pulse quickened.
"What mistake?"
He stepped closer.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Closing the distance between us like it was nothing.
"They didn't finish the job."
Silence.
Heavy.
Because that—
That wasn't just about me.
That was about power.
Territory.
Control.
And something deeper.
Something personal.
"They'll try again," I said.
Of course they would.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
"They won't get the chance."
His voice didn't rise.
It didn't need to.
The certainty in it was enough.
Too much.
Too absolute.
"And if they do?" I challenged.
A mistake.
Maybe.
But I didn't stop myself.
Not anymore.
Kael's eyes darkened.
"Then I'll make sure there's nothing left of them."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Not from fear.
From understanding.
This wasn't a threat.
This was a promise.
The kind that destroys entire bloodlines.
The kind that ends wars before they begin.
I should have been afraid.
I wasn't.
That scared me more than anything.
"You're doing this because of me."
The words came out quieter than I expected.
Not weak.
Just… real.
Kael didn't answer immediately.
His gaze held mine.
Longer than necessary.
Deeper than before.
"No," he said finally.
"I'm doing this because they crossed a line."
A pause.
Then—
His voice dropped slightly.
Rougher.
"And because you're mine to protect."
The words hit harder than they should have.
Possessive.
Dangerous.
Wrong.
My chest tightened.
"I told you—"
"I know."
He cut me off.
Sharp.
Immediate.
"You don't belong to me."
A pause.
Heavy.
Unfinished.
"But you're still under my protection."
Silence.
Because that—
That was different.
Not ownership.
Not control.
Something else.
Something I didn't understand.
Something I wasn't sure I wanted to.
"Why?" I asked.
The question slipped out before I could stop it.
Real.
Unfiltered.
Kael didn't answer right away.
And for the first time—
It looked like he didn't have a simple answer.
His jaw tightened.
His gaze flickered briefly to the mark on my neck.
Then back to my eyes.
"Because if I don't…"
A pause.
Long.
Heavy.
"…someone else will try to control you."
My breath caught.
"And you don't want that."
It wasn't a question.
Again—
He didn't deny it.
"No."
That one word carried too much weight.
Too much truth.
Too much intention.
The mark burned.
Stronger.
Responsive.
Like it agreed.
Or reacted.
Or warned.
I didn't know anymore.
"You're not safe here," I said.
It sounded wrong even as I said it.
This was his territory.
His palace.
His power.
And yet—
It didn't feel safe.
Not anymore.
"Nowhere is safe for you," he replied.
Simple.
Direct.
Unavoidable.
"And that includes you."
The words came out sharper than I intended.
But I didn't take them back.
Kael's expression didn't change.
But something behind it did.
Subtle.
Dangerous.
"You're right."
That wasn't the answer I expected.
Not at all.
My pulse quickened.
"That doesn't concern you?"
"It should."
He took another step closer.
Close enough to feel.
To breathe.
To react.
"But it doesn't."
Silence.
Because that—
That was the problem.
He didn't see me as a threat anymore.
Not fully.
Not in the way he should.
That made him dangerous.
And me—
More dangerous than before.
"You're making a mistake," I said quietly.
The words weren't a challenge this time.
They were a warning.
Real.
Kael studied me.
Carefully.
Closely.
"And you're not?"
A pause.
Then—
"I don't even know what I am."
That was the truth.
The only truth that mattered.
The mark pulsed again.
Faster now.
Stronger.
Something inside me—
Shifted.
Wrong.
My breath hitched.
Kael noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
"What is it?"
His voice changed.
Not control.
Not command.
Alert.
Real.
"I don't know…"
The words came out uneven.
My body felt—
Off.
Too much.
Too fast.
Too alive.
The power inside me stirred again.
But this time—
It wasn't calm.
It wasn't controlled.
It was building.
Unstable.
"You're losing control."
The voice whispered inside me.
Satisfied.
Excited.
"No…"
I staggered slightly.
My vision blurred.
The mark burned.
Violently.
And this time—
It hurt.
A lot.
"Lyra."
Kael stepped forward instantly.
Closer.
Too close.
"Stay back."
The words came out sharper than I expected.
But he didn't listen.
Of course he didn't.
"I said—"
The power surged.
Exploded.
Not outward.
Everywhere.
The room shook.
Walls cracked.
Air distorted.
And for a moment—
Everything disappeared.
Darkness.
Silence.
Endless.
Then—
Something else.
A memory.
No—
Not a memory.
A vision.
Blood.
Fire.
Screams.
Wolves kneeling—
Not in submission.
In fear.
A figure standing in the center.
Power radiating from them.
Unstoppable.
Uncontrolled.
Unforgiving.
And then—
Voices.
"End them."
"They can't be allowed to exist."
"They break the order."
"They are the end of everything."
And the figure—
Turned.
Slowly.
And for one terrifying moment—
I saw their face.
My face.
I gasped.
My eyes snapped open.
Back in the room.
Back in the palace.
Back with him.
Kael was right in front of me.
Closer than before.
Holding me steady.
His grip firm.
Not hurting.
Grounding.
"Look at me."
His voice cut through everything.
Sharp.
Focused.
Real.
I did.
I had to.
Because right now—
He was the only thing keeping me anchored.
"What did you see?" he asked.
I couldn't answer immediately.
My breath was uneven.
My body still shaking.
"Me…"
The word barely came out.
"But not me."
His gaze sharpened.
"Explain."
I shook my head.
"I don't understand."
That was the truth.
And it scared me.
Because whatever I was—
Whatever I came from—
It wasn't just power.
It was history.
War.
Destruction.
And I was connected to it.
Deeply.
Dangerously.
The mark pulsed again.
Slower now.
But still alive.
Still watching.
Still waiting.
Kael didn't let go.
Didn't step back.
Didn't break the moment.
"You're not breaking," he said.
Low.
Certain.
"You're becoming."
The words hit.
Hard.
Because deep down—
I knew.
He was right.
And that was the problem.