Episode 4: Echoes of the Past

Night fell heavy over the kingdom. Torches flickered along the castle walls, their dim glow casting long shadows across stone and ruin. The air, still tinged with smoke from the earlier battle, carried an eerie silence too calm, too quiet. Something lingered in the dark.

In the royal war room, Selene stood over a wide table, her eyes scanning the hastily drawn maps. Aria and Auren entered quietly, both showing signs of fatigue. Yet their presence brought with them the only thing Selene respected: intent.

"They've stopped advancing for now," Auren reported. "But the scouts are uneasy. Something about the western ridge feels… wrong."

Selene didn’t look up. "Because it is."

Aria stepped closer. "What do you mean?"

"They’re not retreating. They’re waiting."

Auren frowned. "For what?"

Selene finally looked up, her eyes like onyx in the firelight. "For someone."

A beat of silence passed before she said the name.

"Kael."

Aria blinked. "Kael? Who is that?"

Selene’s gaze turned distant. "He was once… like me. A magician. My equal. Perhaps even stronger. We were trained under the same master. But he chose a darker path one driven by conquest, not balance."

"You knew he was behind this?" Auren asked sharply.

"I suspected," Selene replied calmly. "But now I’m sure."

"And what does he want?" Aria asked.

Selene’s expression hardened. "He wants me to wake up. Completely. Not just to fight but to break. To become what he believes I was always meant to be."

Auren narrowed his eyes. "And what’s that?"

"A monster."

The word echoed in the room like a curse.

Before anyone could respond, a guard burst through the doors, his face pale. "Your Highness Princess Aria something’s happening outside the west wall. You need to see this."

They rushed to the highest tower.

...----------------...

The sky beyond the western ridge glowed an unnatural red.

It wasn't fire it was magic. A sigil, massive and circular, had been burned into the land. Even from this distance, its edges shimmered with ancient runes. A ritual site.

Selene gripped the balcony railing. "He’s calling me."

Auren’s hand went to his sword. "So it's a challenge."

"It’s an invitation," Selene said. "And a warning."

Aria turned to her. "What happens if you go?"

Selene’s voice was quiet. "That depends on what part of me answers."

...----------------...

Later that night…

Selene stood alone at the center of the castle’s old chapel. Moonlight spilled in through shattered stained glass, painting the floor in fractured colors.

Aria entered silently, the glowing necklace in her hand.

"You’re going after him, aren’t you?" Aria asked.

Selene didn’t turn. "I have to. If I don’t, more will die. He’s playing a game. And I know how he plays."

Aria stepped closer. "You knew him once. You trusted him?"

"I did," Selene said. "And he betrayed me. In every way that mattered."

"Then why are you afraid?"

Selene’s hands clenched at her sides. "Because he knows me. He knows my power. My weakness. And he’s the only one alive who’s seen what I’m truly capable of… when I lose control."

The silence hung between them.

Finally, Aria reached out and pressed the necklace back into Selene’s palm.

"Then don’t face him alone."

Selene looked down at the girl so young, so brave, and far too kind. A strange warmth stirred in her chest. Something she hadn’t felt in years.

Not hope.

But something close.

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