Kael didn't speak.
Didn't breathe.
The crypt air was cold, but the emptiness inside the tomb was colder. His father's name—Arion Duskbane—was still carved into the obsidian slab, untouched by time.
But the body was gone.
And in its place…
A black feather, charred at the edges and pulsing with ancient magic.
Kael reached out to touch it—and the moment his fingers brushed the edge, visions slammed into his mind.
⸻
Visions of the Past
Blood. Fire. Screaming.
Arion Duskbane, once the terror of the supernatural world, standing at the edge of the Rebirth Altar. His hands were outstretched, not in prayer—but in betrayal.
Beneath the altar, a girl cried out. Her power torn from her body. Her mark—the original Moonborne crest—was being sealed.
Kael staggered back.
"No…"
Because the girl wasn't a stranger.
It was Nyra's ancestor.
⸻
Present Day – Whisper Court
Selene Morthal poured liquid moonlight into a carved basin. The surface rippled, then cleared to reveal the same vision Kael had just seen.
Nyra gritted her teeth. "So that's how it happened."
"They didn't just kill your bloodline," Selene said softly. "They bound it. They locked it behind bones and ash. And the key?"
She handed Nyra a small, silver brand etched with two sigils—the Moonborne mark, and the Nightveil serpent.
Nyra's eyes glowed.
"So Kael's bloodline has been feeding off ours."
"Feeding," Selene echoed. "And fearing."
Iris stood guard at the broken entrance, muttering, "You know… this would be a great time for Kael to finally admit his family's cursed."
Nyra took the brand. "No. I want him to lie."
"Why?"
"So I can bury the truth in his throat when I cut it open."
⸻
Nightveil Citadel – Throne Hall
Evelyne stood before the council again, but this time her smile was colder.
"Arion's tomb was empty," she said. "Which means two things."
"Either someone desecrated the body—" Marek started.
"—or he's not dead," she finished.
Gasps.
Kael strode in, the black feather in his hand. His voice was distant. "He bound the Moonborne line to seal the prophecy."
Vessa paled. "But that would mean—"
"That we are not the heirs of power," Kael said. "We are the thieves of it."
Marek looked ready to explode. "You expect us to believe this traitor's child?"
Kael's eyes locked with his mother's. "I don't expect you to believe anything."
He slammed the feather down on the table.
"I expect you to prepare. Because Nyra isn't coming for justice anymore."
"She's coming for war."
⸻
Cliffhanger Ending:
Deep in the forest, under the glow of a blood moon, Nyra branded her palm with the silver seal. Her scream echoed like a promise, not pain.
And when it faded… her mark shimmered gold and black.
Moonborne reborn.
Bound by fire.
Crowned by vengeance.