Chapter Seven
The tension in the room crackled like static as the mysterious man stepped into the hall, water dripping from the hem of his cloak. His eyes, silver as moonlight, scanned the room until they landed on Liana. He bowed slightly, a gesture of old-world courtesy that seemed foreign in the charged air.
"I am Thorne," he said, his voice like velvet over steel. "Sent by the Circle of Flame."
The name alone sent ripples of unease through the brothers. Riven stepped forward, his shoulders broad and stance protective. "The Circle disbanded decades ago. No one survived the fall."
Thorne smiled faintly. "We survive in whispers. In shadows. And now, we return with purpose. Because of her."
He nodded at Liana, who stood rooted in place, confusion and curiosity warring on her face.
"Why me?" she asked, her voice soft but steady.
Thorne's silver eyes locked with hers. "Because you carry the Flame. The true Flame. And the world isn't ready for it."
Darian circled around Thorne, eyeing him like a predator sizing up a rival. "Prove it."
Without a word, Thorne reached into his cloak and withdrew a shard of crystal—one that pulsed with a red-gold light the same hue as the strange glow Liana had emitted earlier.
The moment he held it out, the crystal vibrated violently, and then, to everyone's shock, shot across the room and embedded itself into the skin just above Liana's heart. There was no blood. No wound. Only a searing mark in the shape of a flame now glowing on her chest.
Liana gasped and stumbled back.
Kieran caught her. "What the hell did you do to her?!"
"I didn't do it," Thorne said calmly. "She accepted it. The Flame recognizes its bearer."
The mark glowed once more, then dimmed into a faint golden shimmer.
Riven ran a hand through his hair, jaw tight. "This is escalating faster than any of us expected."
"What does it mean?" Liana whispered.
Thorne answered, "It means your bond with the triplets is only the beginning. You were born to change everything."
A silence fell, but not for long. Outside, the winds howled, and the windows rattled with a force unnatural. Shadows danced across the walls, forming shapes not cast by anything within.
"They know she's awakened," Darian said grimly. "The forest spirits, the rogues, the ones hiding in plain sight. They're coming."
Henry stumbled in again, panting. "The village... It's burning."
Kieran swore and sprinted for the door. Riven and Darian were right behind him.
Thorne looked at Liana. "You must come too. The people will rally if they see you. They've waited for their Flame Queen."
"I'm not ready to be a queen," she whispered.
He smiled. "No one ever is. But you're not alone."
With that, Liana ran.
They reached the village to find it ablaze, figures cloaked in smoke and shadow rampaging through the streets. Wolves—bigger than any she'd seen before, twisted and frothing—attacked anything that moved.
Liana's eyes found a child, trapped beneath fallen beams. Without thinking, she dove in, lifting the debris with strength she didn't know she had. The child gasped, and her hands burned with light.
The wolves snarled, turning toward her.
Then, all three brothers arrived in a flash of motion—Darian slashing through with fire-drenched claws, Kieran summoning wind blades with his roar, and Riven erupting in pure brute force.
Liana turned, her eyes glowing.
"Enough!" she shouted.
A wave of golden flame burst from her body, encasing the entire battlefield. The wolves froze, whimpered, and then fled.
The fires died down. The smoke cleared.
The people stared at her, silent. Then one by one, they dropped to their knees.
"The Flame Queen lives," someone whispered.
And for the first time, Liana felt it—power, responsibility, fear. But above all, purpose.
Behind her, Thorne watched with quiet pride.
"This is only the beginning," he murmured. "War is coming. And the Flame must burn brighter than ever."
But in the trees, unseen, a cloaked figure whispered to another:
"She has awakened. We must strike before the bond is complete."
And as the curtain of night fell once more, the prophecy loomed large in every heart:
She will either save them all... or doom them forever.
The room fell into a heavy silence. The stranger's voice had sliced through their tension like a blade. Liana blinked, her vision blurry as she slowly sat up, her body still weak from the overwhelming energy that had coursed through her moments ago.
Kieran moved first, stepping in front of her protectively. "Who are you?"
The man pulled back his hood, revealing sharp features, raven-black hair slicked back by the rain, and piercing silver eyes. A scar ran diagonally across his cheekbone—a relic of some forgotten war.
"My name is Alder Veyne," he said, his gaze scanning each of them. "I served the last Oracle before she vanished. And I know how this prophecy ends."
Darian stepped forward, his posture defensive. "We've heard enough half-truths and cryptic warnings to last a lifetime. If you know something, speak plainly."
Alder nodded. "The prophecy wasn't just about the flame or the curse. It spoke of a fourth force—an ancient bloodline lost to time. A bloodline that could either destroy the three Alphas... or unite them."
All eyes turned to Liana.
She clutched the edge of the infirmary bed, her voice quiet. "You mean me."
Alder's expression softened. "You're more than the Fated One. You're the Reclaimer. The one who can restore balance—or tip it completely."
Riven snorted. "That sounds exactly like something that would end in chaos."
"It might," Alder agreed. "Especially since the Mark has awakened early. That creature you encountered in the forest? It was drawn to the Reclaimer's aura. And it's not the only one. Others are coming. Some to protect you... many to kill you."
Liana felt her stomach twist. "Why me? I didn't ask for any of this."
Alder's voice turned solemn. "Because fate doesn't ask. It chooses. And you, Lady Liana, were chosen the moment you took your first breath."
Suddenly, a high-pitched ringing filled the room. Liana's ears ached. She clutched her temples.
"They're here," she whispered.
A crash exploded outside. The windows shattered inward with a violent force. Shadows slithered through the air like smoke given form.
Kieran summoned his power, blue fire crackling in his palms. Riven shifted partially, his canines lengthening, his eyes glowing red. Darian was already pulling Liana behind him.
"Don't let them touch her!" Alder warned.
The shadows lunged.
Kieran's fire met them midair, lighting the room with violent flashes. Riven intercepted another with brute strength, claws slashing. Darian caught one by the throat and threw it against the stone wall, shattering it into black mist.
Liana tried to focus, but her vision blurred again. A voice echoed in her mind.
"Call the Flame, Reclaimer. You have the power."
"What flame?!" she screamed aloud.
Then it came—a pulsing heat in her chest. She gasped, instinctively lifting her hand.
A golden fire burst forth.
The shadows screamed.
The entire room exploded in light. The remaining creatures shrieked and dissolved, leaving only ash in their wake.
Silence fell once more.
Everyone turned to Liana, who was now glowing softly with golden light. Her hair floated as if underwater. Her eyes... were no longer her own. They glowed like twin suns.
Alder dropped to one knee.
"She's awakened. The Flame is hers."
Liana blinked, then collapsed backward into Darian's arms.
He caught her, lifting her gently. "What the hell just happened?"
Alder rose. "The world just changed. You'll want to prepare yourselves. This was only the beginning."
From the shadows outside the broken window, another figure watched. Cloaked in midnight robes, a single crimson eye visible beneath the hood.
He smiled.
"Found you, Reclaimer. Let the hunt