“ELARA!” Evelyn’s scream tore through the broken silence, raw and wild. She clawed through the rubble with bloodied fingers, her breath ragged and her arms trembling. The acrid scent of burnt stone and magic hung heavy in the air. A pillar cracked and groaned overhead, but she didn’t flinch. Her only focus was the small, fragile figure she had seen swallowed by the light. “Elara, baby, please..answer me!” Adrian limped through the wreckage, his sword now sheathed, his hands trembling. Blood dripped from a gash at his side, but he didn’t stop. He shoved aside slabs of stone with a fury he hadn’t felt since the last war. Then he saw her. Elara lay in the center of the shattered altar, completely still, but untouched by the chaos around her. The fire had not scorched her skin. Instead, it had marked her..ancient runes now pulsed faintly on her arms and neck like molten gold stitched into her skin. Adrian fell to his knees beside her. “Elara…” He touched her hand. Warm. A

The forest was alive with whispers. Shadows coiled like vines around Leona’s ankles as she stepped onto the stone path leading to the Thorned Spire.Cradling the glowing infant in her arms, she winced at the bitter wind slicing through her cloak. The baby made no sound..his pale skin pulsing softly with light, his eyes open, watching.From the darkness ahead, a voice called out, ancient and velvet:“You bring light to a place built on darkness. Brave or foolish, I wonder?”Leona didn’t flinch. “I need sanctuary. And you owe me, Myra.”The Queen of Thorns emerged from the fog, thorns woven into her black crown, her lips stained with bloodroot.“I’ll sanctify the child,” she purred. “But you must understand..purity comes through sacrifice.”Back in the capital, the sky had dimmed unnaturally..though the eclipse was still days away.Evelyn stood on the balcony of the obsidian tower, her voice thunderous as she addressed the terrified crowd gathered below.“From this hour, we are at war.”

The skies turned the color of bruised steel as Evelyn stood atop the palace tower, staring at the approaching foreign fleet. Her black cloak whipped in the wind, gold thread unraveling in the gusts. Behind her, bells rang out across the harbor."Burn them," she said coldly.The admiral flinched. "Your Majesty… they haven't even docked."Evelyn's eyes blazed. "And they never will."Torches were lit. Cannons loaded. Within moments, fire arced across the sky, striking the wooden ships with terrifying precision. Flames exploded across their sails..bright orange against the grey sea..and smoke rose like fingers reaching toward heaven.But then the sky… changed.A line of fire wrote itself into the clouds above the harbor, the letters huge and burning red:"YOU STRIKE FIRST, WE STRIKE LAST."Gasps rippled through the people gathered at the docks. Nobles shrank back. The guards raised their weapons, unsure who to point them at.Evelyn stared up, expressionless, even as her chest hammered."I

Elara collapsed.The air still shimmered where she had hovered, her body now crumpled on the cold marble like a puppet with its strings cut. Smoke curled gently from her hair, and the crown..twisted, golden, humming with power..lay beside her, burning hot to the touch. Its roots twitched like veins, seared into the stone.“Elara!” Evelyn darted forward, her heart clenching.Adrian caught her before she reached the crown. “Don’t touch it,” he warned, eyes fixed on the smoldering metal. “It’s still alive.”She shook him off. “I don’t care. She needs me.”Ignoring the heat, Evelyn wrapped her arms around her daughter, cradling Elara’s limp form. Her skin was cold. Too cold. But she was breathing..shallow, erratic gasps like the last flickers of a candle.“Elara,” Evelyn whispered, stroking damp hair from her daughter’s forehead. “Come back to me. Please…”Elara stirred faintly, her lips trembling. “Mother…”“I’m here.”Elara’s eyes fluttered open..and Evelyn froze.They weren’t Elara’s e

The sky was bleeding fire.Explosions shook the land, and glowing pieces of ash fell like angry stars. From every direction came the sound of screaming men, women, children everyone running from the destruction raining down from above. The Phoenix Prince’s orb had cracked open the heavens, and now the world below was paying the price.Soldiers shouted orders as they scattered, shields lifted to protect themselves. But it didn’t matter. This fire was alive. It was no ordinary flame it danced, twisting and spinning like it had a mind of its own. It didn’t care about stone walls or heavy armor. It burned through everything, greedy and wild.“ELARA!” Queen Evelyn screamed.Her daughter collapsed beside her just as another wave of golden light burst from Elara’s body. The force shattered every window in the palace, tossing guards into the walls like leaves in a storm. Evelyn dropped to her knees and pulled Elara into her arms. Her heart pounded in her chest, faster and louder than the chao