The golden flames around Selene slowly faded, but their heat lingered in the air. The once grand chamber was now a ruin—cracked stone, shattered pillars, and the faint scent of burned shadows clinging to the walls.
Lucian lowered his sword, his silver eyes locked onto Selene. She stood in the center of the destruction, different.
Not just stronger.
Changed.
She looked at her hands, watching as the last traces of golden fire flickered and died.
"I—" Her voice came out hoarse. "I don't know what happened."
Lucian stepped closer, his expression unreadable. "You won."
But Selene wasn't so sure.
The Harbinger was gone, but the echoes of its power still pulsed through her veins, like an ember waiting to ignite again. And for the first time, she wasn't certain if she could control it.
Valerian approached, his silver hair dusted with debris, his dark cloak fluttering behind him. He studied her carefully.
"The Celestial Flame has fully awakened," he said, voice grave. "Do you feel it?"
Selene hesitated.
She felt everything.
The fire inside her no longer burned only in her blood. It pulsed in the air around her, in the earth beneath her feet, in the very fabric of the world itself.
Lucian reached for her, his fingers brushing against her arm—then jerked back.
His breath caught.
Selene's skin burned.
Not in a painful way, but with a warmth that wasn't human.
Lucian's silver gaze met hers, searching. "Selene… what are you now?"
She didn't have an answer.
Valerian exhaled. "You are no longer just a wielder of fire. The Celestial Flame is creation itself. And now, it is a part of you."
Selene's stomach twisted.
"I didn't ask for this."
Valerian's lips pressed into a thin line. "Destiny doesn't ask. It simply is."
Lucian scowled. "That's not good enough." He turned to Selene. "If this power is hurting you, we'll find a way to stop it."
Valerian laughed softly, though there was no humor in it. "Stop it? The Celestial Flame cannot be stopped." He gestured to the destroyed chamber around them. "You saw what she did. And that was only a fraction of its potential."
Selene swallowed. "So what happens now?"
Valerian's expression darkened. "Now? Every force in this world will come looking for you."
A cold weight settled in Selene's chest.
She had spent her whole life running. But now, there was nowhere left to hide.
Lucian's grip on his sword tightened. "Let them come."
But Valerian shook his head. "You don't understand. The Harbinger was only the beginning."
Selene felt a chill crawl down her spine. "What do you mean?"
Valerian's gaze flickered toward the shattered shadows still lingering in the air, remnants of the Harbinger's magic.
"That creature was not acting alone," he murmured. "Something far worse is coming."
The air grew heavy, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
And then—
A distant boom echoed through the castle.
Lucian's head snapped up. "What was that?"
Valerian's expression hardened. "A warning."
Another boom—this time closer.
Selene turned toward the sound. Through the ruined walls, she saw the sky darken, thick clouds rolling in unnaturally fast. The torches along the corridors flickered wildly, shadows stretching in eerie shapes.
Lucian reached for his weapon. "Something's coming."
Valerian nodded. "Yes. And this time, it won't stop until it gets what it wants."
Selene's fingers curled into fists, the warmth of her fire igniting once more.
She had thought the battle was over.
But now, she realized—
The war was just beginning.
End of Chapter Forty