The next morning arrived with an unnatural stillness.
Fog coiled around the Blackthorn estate like a warning, thick and cold as if the very air was holding its breath. Birds refused to sing. The usual bustle of servants was oddly silent. Even the trees didn't sway.
Liana stood at her window, dressed in dark riding clothes, the locket warm against her skin. She didn't know what she was about to face, but she knew this much:
She had to go.
The vision from the night before haunted her. Darian, chained. Kieran, on his knees. Riven, screaming her name. And the voice that whispered: "One must fall for the others to rise."
What did it mean?
A knock at her door jolted her.
It was Darian.
"We leave in ten minutes," he said, his tone firm but unreadable. "Bring only what you need."
Liana nodded, her throat dry. "Are the others ready?"
"Kieran's checking the route. Riven is…" he sighed. "Being Riven."
---
Downstairs, Riven was arguing with a very concerned Midnight the cat.
"You can't come, demon furball. No. You nearly took out a chandelier yesterday!"
Midnight hissed and turned her back on him, tail swishing with majestic attitude.
"I swear she understands me," he muttered as Liana approached.
"She probably does," she said, suppressing a smile.
Darian and Kieran soon joined them, both dressed for battle. Kieran held a map—hand-drawn and enchanted to reveal hidden paths. The only way into the Forbidden Vale.
As they mounted their horses, Riven handed Liana a dagger. It was old, with runes carved into the blade.
"Family heirloom," he said. "It only bites the bad guys. Usually."
"Comforting," she replied, gripping it tightly.
---
The journey into the Vale was silent at first.
Every step of the horse's hooves seemed to echo unnaturally. Trees loomed overhead, twisted and ancient, whispering secrets in the wind. At the edge of the Vale, a barrier shimmered like heatwaves.
"This is it," Kieran said. "Once we cross, there's no turning back."
Darian turned to Liana. "Ready?"
She swallowed. "No. But I'll go anyway."
They stepped through the veil.
A sudden pressure hit Liana's chest. The air changed—it smelled of pine, smoke, and something ancient. Her vision blurred momentarily as the locket pulsed.
Then—voices. Whispers.
"The Everhart has returned…"
"She walks with the Blackthorns…"
"Blood must pay its due…"
Riven glanced at her. "Tell me I'm not the only one hearing that."
"No," Liana said softly. "They're speaking to me."
---
They followed the map deeper into the forest until they reached a clearing. At the center stood an ancient stone altar, overgrown with vines.
"It's the same as the one from the vision," Liana breathed.
Kieran knelt beside it, brushing away leaves. "There's writing here."
He read aloud: "Only the bound may awaken the sealed. Three by fate. One by blood."
Darian frowned. "What does it mean by 'sealed'?"
Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled. The altar glowed with red light. The runes on Liana's dagger flared, matching the locket.
Then—
A scream.
Not Liana's.
Not the brothers'.
A woman's voice—sharp, broken, furious.
She emerged from the shadows, her cloak red as spilled wine.
"You shouldn't be here."
Liana's blood ran cold.
It was her.
The woman from the mating ceremony.
The one who had vanished in fire and smoke.
"You..." Liana whispered. "Who are you?"
The woman smiled, eyes wild with fury. "I am the one who knows what they've kept from you. What they've done to you."
She held up a black crystal.
The ground cracked open.
And from beneath the altar… a dark shape began to rise.
Liana screamed as the vision returned full force—fire, chains, blood.
Only this time, it wasn't a warning.
It was happening.
The altar cracked wider, stones breaking apart with a deafening roar. A wave of dark energy surged into the air, knocking everyone off their feet. Liana's back hit the ground hard, her ears ringing and heart hammering.
The red-cloaked woman stood unharmed, her eyes glowing unnaturally. The black crystal in her hand pulsed with power, and from the gaping hole beneath the altar, something massive began to rise.
A figure—shadowy, armor-clad, and bound in ancient chains.
Riven scrambled to his feet, his voice hoarse. "What in the gods' names is that?!"
Kieran drew his sword, the blade sparking with magic. "That's no spirit. It's a Guardian."
"A corrupted one," the red-cloaked woman said, her voice almost giddy. "The first ever bound to a false mating."
Liana's blood turned cold. "False… mating?"
The woman turned to her, eyes full of spite. "They didn't tell you, did they? That your bond was forged with blood magic. That it wasn't fate that chose them—it was a curse. One that your family paid for with their lives."
Darian lunged forward, sword raised. "Shut your mouth!"
The woman vanished in a flash of crimson light, reappearing behind him.
"Oh no, dear prince," she whispered mockingly. "You don't get to silence me. Not after what you did."
With a flick of her hand, the black crystal blasted a wave of energy that sent Darian flying into a tree.
Liana rushed toward him, but the chains of the risen Guardian slithered like serpents, cutting her off.
"Liana!" Kieran shouted, running to her aid.
The Guardian let out a roar—deafening, inhuman, ancient. The trees shook. The sky darkened.
Then… it spoke.
"The Blood of Everhart... has returned."
The voice was a thunderclap, echoing in her bones.
"I'm not… I'm not ready for this," Liana gasped, the dagger in her hand trembling.
The locket on her chest burned. She ripped it open—and inside was a folded piece of parchment. How had she never seen it before?
Hands shaking, she opened it.
"In darkness, your light will awaken. Trust none. Not even those you love."
Suddenly, a memory sparked in her mind—a woman's voice. Her mother's.
"If you ever feel the pull of destiny, look to the stars… and run."
But it was too late to run now.
The Guardian broke free from the chains and began to advance.
"No!" Liana shouted, stepping forward. "I command you to stop!"
To her astonishment… it did.
The creature paused mid-step. The red-cloaked woman blinked, startled.
"You… you shouldn't be able to do that."
Liana's eyes glowed, just for a moment. "Maybe I'm not the one who's bound. Maybe you are."
The red-cloaked woman snarled and hurled the crystal at her.
Riven leapt in front of Liana, catching it mid-air with his bare hand—and screamed as it seared into his skin. The crystal exploded in light, throwing everyone back again.
This time, Liana stayed down.
Smoke clouded the clearing.
The woman was gone.
The Guardian… had disappeared.
But Riven lay motionless, his hand scorched black.
"Riven!" Liana crawled to him, cradling his head.
Kieran fell to his knees beside them, panic in his eyes. "He's not waking up."
Darian limped over, blood on his temple. "We need to get him back. Now."
But as Liana touched Riven's burned hand, a new surge of power burst through her body. Her vision went white.
And she heard a voice—
"You think fate is cruel? Wait until you learn the truth."
The world spun in a whirlwind of light and shadow. Liana's lungs tightened, her skin prickled with electricity, and the voice that had whispered in her head kept echoing.
"You think fate is cruel? Wait until you learn the truth."
Her eyes snapped open.
She wasn't in the forest anymore.
A towering black tree stretched into the sky above her, its leaves like shards of obsidian. A river of silver flowed at its base. And in front of her, cloaked in silver and smoke, stood a woman with no face.
"What is this place?" Liana gasped, rising slowly.
The woman tilted her head. "You are at the edge of what was once forbidden. The curse lives in you now, Everhart child."
"Curse? I didn't ask for any of this!"
"And yet it chose you. Or perhaps, it remembered you."
Liana's hands clenched. "Tell me who you are. Why are you haunting me?!"
"Not haunting," the woman replied. "Warning. The triplets are bound not only to you… but to each other. One must fall for the others to rise. The moment your heart chooses… one bond will break."
Liana's chest tightened. "No… I won't choose. I won't hurt them."
The woman's voice turned cold. "You already have."
The black tree trembled behind her. A flash of fire burst from its roots.
Liana stumbled backward—
And woke up.
"Liana!" Kieran's voice rang in her ears as he hovered above her, panic carved into his face. "You were out cold—what happened?"
She jolted upright. "Where's Riven?!"
"He's here," Darian said, crouched over his brother. "He's breathing, but barely."
Riven's body twitched in pain, the veins along his arm glowing faintly.
Liana crawled to his side, her heart racing. "I saw something. A place. A warning. I think… I think I triggered something when I touched him."
Kieran grabbed her shoulder, his voice low. "What kind of warning?"
"That one of them—" she hesitated, "—one of you might… die."
Silence.
Even the birds in the forest seemed to go mute.
Darian's face darkened. "That woman knew something about the bond. She said it wasn't fate."
Kieran nodded grimly. "She called it a curse."
Liana nodded. "And the faceless woman said if my heart chooses one of you, another might fall."
"Then don't choose," Darian said flatly.
Liana's eyes widened.
"You don't understand," she whispered. "It's not that simple. The bond is pulling. If I don't choose… the bond might choose for me."
Riven groaned softly, drawing their attention.
Liana reached for his hand again—but Kieran grabbed her wrist. "Wait. What if touching him again makes it worse?"
Liana shook her head. "What if it's the only thing that can heal him?"
A tense second passed.
Then, she placed her hand on Riven's chest, just over his heart.
A soft golden light burst between them.
Riven inhaled sharply—and his eyes snapped open.
"Liana?" he rasped.
Relief washed over her. "You're okay. Thank the gods."
He blinked, confused. "Why do I feel like a thousand lightning bolts punched me in the spine?"
Kieran chuckled. "That's what happens when you try to play hero and catch exploding dark crystals."
Riven groaned. "Remind me not to do that again."
Despite everything, Liana laughed. "You're impossible."
But before anyone could fully relax, a thunderous boom echoed in the distance.
Darian stood immediately. "That came from the village."
Smoke curled in the horizon.
"Something's wrong," Kieran said, pulling Riven to his feet.
Liana felt the locket burn against her chest again. She clutched it, whispering under her breath, "Please don't let it be too late…"
As they sprinted back toward the village, hearts pounding, the locket glowed hotter—and a whisper followed them in the wind:
"The game has begun."
The village was in chaos.
By the time Liana, Riven, Darian, and Kieran reached the outskirts, thick smoke curled from several wooden structures. Cries echoed in the air, villagers ran in every direction, and the sharp clang of weapons clashed from somewhere deeper inside.
"What the hell happened?" Riven muttered, eyes sharp again despite his earlier pain.
A man stumbled toward them, blood smeared across his temple. "They're here! The Shadowborn!"
Darian froze. "That's impossible. The barrier—"
"Was shattered," the man choked. "Just like that."
Riven's eyes snapped to Liana. "What did you see in that vision?"
She shook her head, her mind racing. "The tree… the silver river… the faceless woman. She said 'You triggered it.' What if the bond awakened something older than the curse?"
A deep roar tore through the air—something inhuman. Something… ancient.
A towering beast with flaming eyes and horns the size of spears lunged through the village square. It wasn't just a creature—it was a Shadowborn Alpha.
Liana's breath caught in her throat. "We need to help them."
But as she stepped forward, a wall of dark magic exploded between her and the triplets, separating her completely from them.
"Liana!" Kieran shouted.
She turned, screaming their names, pounding against the dark veil. It felt like ice and flame at once—her fingers burned just trying to touch it.
The Shadowborn Alpha noticed her.
And smiled.
It didn't snarl. It didn't roar.
It grinned like it knew her.
"Chosen," it growled in a deep, guttural voice that scraped against her bones. "The blood remembers."
She backed up slowly, heart thundering. "You can talk?"
"You carry her scent," the creature said. "The one who broke us. The one who lied."
"What are you talking about?"
But the Alpha didn't answer. Instead, its shadow twisted—and from the dark mist, another figure stepped forward. A man. Eyes glowing with crimson. Cloaked in a mantle made of bones.
"You are not the only one bound by fate, Liana Everhart," he said with a wicked smirk. "But you, you are mine."
"Who are you?" she whispered, her voice shaking.
The man stepped closer, his magic curling around her like a storm. "I am the other choice fate never told you about."
And then—
He vanished.
The Shadowborn Alpha turned, leaping over burning rooftops and disappearing into the mountains, leaving only destruction in its wake.
The magical wall dropped, and the triplets rushed to her side.
"Liana! Are you okay?" Darian grabbed her shoulders, inspecting her for injuries.
"I'm not hurt," she said breathlessly, "but I saw him. Someone… powerful. He knew my name."
"What did he say?" Riven asked.
Liana turned to them, her voice barely above a whisper. "He said he was… another choice."
The brothers went silent.
Kieran's voice was low, deadly. "What do you mean, another choice?"
Liana looked at the smoldering village, at the dark sky, at the strange bond flaring between her and the triplets.
She swallowed hard.
"I think this bond... might not just be between us