When they entered the Council Hall, all the Council members and the royal family were already present, their faces marked with tension.
The doors opened once more, and the Sevaris Clan entered. They were all dressed in white, their presence commanding. But what caught Kairan's attention was their eyes-pale silver, almost luminous under the midday sun streaming through the high-arched windows.
At the center stood a man who exuded quiet authority. Zareth Sevaris-the clan leader.
Aldric was the first to speak. "Welcome to Luminara. What brings you to us?"
Zareth inclined his head in greeting. "Your Majesty, we have come to offer our aid."
A ripple of confusion spread through the hall, whispered murmurs passing between the gathered nobles and councilors.
"Aid in what?" Aldric asked, his tone cautious.
Zareth's expression remained calm, but his next words shifted the atmosphere. "I trust you have all heard of the legend of the Twin Souls?"
Aldric's eyes narrowed,"yes."
Zareth's silver gaze gleamed. "It is no mere legend, Your Majesty. It is a prophecy."
A hush fell over the hall.
Without warning, Zareth's pupils faded, his eyes turning pure white, glowing with an eerie silver light. His voice took on an ethereal weight as he began to recite:
When the world was young and the heavens still wept silver rain,
Two souls walked among mortals-Day and Night, creation and end.
Lucianar, the God of Day, radiant as the golden dawn.
Nyxian, the God of Night, commanding as the midnight sky.
From their love, the Fae and Witches were born,
Light to nurture, Dark to command, and Magic to weave between them.
Yet where power flourished, so too did hunger grow,
And from shadows deeper than the abyss, Vorraketh arose.
A being neither mortal nor divine, forged in greed,
Feeding upon magic, devouring the balance they had built.
To halt the unmaking of all they had wrought, Lucianar and Nyxian paid the price, binding the darkness with their very souls.
Scattered in time, lost to the ages,
Until the stars align and fate calls them home.
When the veil between realms weakens, they shall rise anew,
Drawn to each other by the echoes of what once was.
And when their souls reunite in fire and longing,
He shall awaken-the harbinger of ruin,
Seeking vengeance, seeking reckoning,
Seeking to unmake them and the world they loved.
Thus is the cycle foretold, written in blood and ruin-
To claim each other is to summon the end.
As Zareth's voice faded, an eerie silence gripped the room. Sunlight streamed in through the stained-glass windows, throwing colored patterns across the polished floor. Yet, the warmth of the day suddenly felt too heavy.
Aldric exhaled slowly. "We have always thought of this as myth," he admitted. "You must explain further, Zareth. What is happening?"
Zareth's gaze was unwavering. "The prophecy is unfolding. The seals that hold Vorraketh are cracking." His voice remained steady, but the weight behind his words was unmistakable. "My daughter, Selene, has seen visions-Fae and witches conspiring to break the seal."
A tense murmur spread among the council members, unease threading through the crowd.
Valeran, a senior councilman, crossed his arms. "And why should we believe you?" he asked, suspicion laced in his tone.
Zareth did not respond. Instead, Selene stepped forward. She had the same pale silver eyes as her father, her presence commanding despite her youthful appearance. Dressed in flowing white, she moved with an elegance that spoke of both wisdom and power.
"I have seen rivers running dry, crops withering before their time," she said, her voice steady yet heavy with warning. "Magic itself is shifting. These signs are proof-the seal is breaking. And if it shatters completely, Vorraketh will return."
A hush fell over the hall.
Kairan clenched his jaw. This information-was supposed to be a closely guarded secret. If the Sevaris Clan knew about it... then they were telling the truth.
Aldric spoke his expression was unreadable as he finally spoke. "We believe you, and we thank you for offering your aid. But we need time to discuss this."
Zareth's expression darkened. "You do not have time, Your Majesty," he said gravely. "And this is not something you or I can face alone. So we will need more allies by our side."
Aldric remained silent, his fingers drumming against the polished wood of his thrown.
Kairan stiffened as Selene's gaze flickered toward him. For a split second, her expression shifted- eyes widening in surprise, before her expression smoothed over.
She stepped closer to her father, whispering something in his ear. Zareth froze, his eyes darting toward Kairan. Whatever she had said, it had affected him. He swiftly masked his reaction before anyone else could notice.
Kairan didn't like the feeling of it. Didn't like the way their eyes lingered on him, as if he were a missing piece of some unspoken puzzle.
Zareth turned back to Aldric. "My daughter and a few others from our clan will remain here. But do not take too long in deciding, Your Majesty."
For the first time since the meeting began, Queen Lysara spoke. "Guards, escort our guests to their chambers."
The Sevaris Clan left without another word.
In the guest chambers...
Zareth sat at the head of the room, his fingers tapping against the armrest of his chair. Sunlight poured in through the windows, illuminating the tension in his sharp features.
"Are you certain, Selene?" His voice was steady, but there was an edge to it.
Selene nodded. "Yes, Father. But something is different. Something... is blocking the aura. It feels too faint right now, but there is no mistaking it." She exhaled softly, her gaze flickering with understanding.
"And now I know-this was why I wanted to come to Luminara first."
One of the elder clan members, Xavier, frowned. "We must act quickly. We may not have as much time as we thought. We should prevent the prophecy from taking its course."
Zareth's gaze darkened. "You know as well as I do, Xavier-prophecies cannot be stopped. They will unfold as fate dictates. Our role is not to interfere, but to be ready."
Xavier hesitated. "But, Master-"
"The future is not set in stone," Zareth interrupted. "Decisions shape the outcome. But if we meddle too much, the consequences could be dire."
He turned to Selene. "Find out everything you can."
She bowed slightly. "Rest assured, Father. You can go meet the others. I will take care of things here."
Zareth gave her a long, searching look before nodding.