The tension in Mara’s small apartment crackled like a storm contained within four walls. The scent of herbs filled the small space, the hearth fire burned with an unnatural, steady flame, thanks to Mara’s enchantments that had kept it alive even when the city outside roared with chaos. Aerin stood near the window, the muffled cries of the uprisings in Yaveria bleeding through the thick stone walls like a distant, sorrowful song. Beside her, Talon paced, his eyes sharp and restless as he glanced at the door, waiting for any sign of a healer. One of Talon’s contacts had reached out just before sunset, they had found one.

  Elden lay sprawled on a low, makeshift bed, sweat slicking his hair to his forehead, eyes half-closed in pain. His breaths came ragged and shallow, each rise of his chest a testament to the battle he fought against the encroaching darkness that spread from the wound on his arm. Aerin had used all of her magic on the boat to keep him alive. Mara knelt by him, murmuring spells that glimmered faintly before fading into the room's dim light.

  At last, a knock on the door reverberated through the silence. Talon leaped forward and flung it open, revealing an older man, stooped with age yet carrying an undeniable presence. His cloak was the color of storm clouds, frayed at the edges, and the dim light caught the silver in his hair like threads of moonlight. His eyes, pale and gray as river stones, scanned the room with a knowing intensity before landing on Aerin. For an endless second, time itself seemed to pause.

  The healer took a step inside, and with it, the world shifted. The air grew dense, charged with something ancient and untamed. A deep, resonant pulse, like a heartbeat, thrummed beneath Aerin’s skin. The noise from the city outside seemed to fall away, replaced by a silence so profound that Aerin felt as though she were suspended in it. She glanced around, bewildered, as if expecting the others to move, to speak—but they stood frozen, like figures caught in a painting.

  Only the healer remained unfazed. His eyes met Aerin’s, and she saw recognition spark within them, a light that burned bright and fierce. It was as though she were looking into a mirror, one that reflected not her own image but something far older, threaded with the echoes of her ancestors. Her breath caught in her chest as the man took another step closer, his gaze softening with an unspoken sorrow and pride.

  "Aerin," he whispered, the sound rough yet laced with reverence. It was not a question; it was an acknowledgment, a greeting long overdue.

  Aerin’s throat tightened, her voice caught somewhere between disbelief and longing. Her eyebrows furrowed, “Who are you?”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  The gray man lifted a trembling, frail and thin hand and reached for hers. The moment their fingers touched, a bolt of pure, electric magic surged through her, lighting every nerve, every fiber of her being with raw power. The hairs on her skin rose, her skin prickling with every sensation. The room around them faded, replaced by a cascade of memories that enveloped her like a wave.

  She was a child again, running through the grand halls of her parents estate, laughter echoing as her younger brother chased her. The air was sweet with the scent of jasmine that grew in the courtyard, mingling with the warm, earthy aroma of old stone and parchment. Her mother’s voice, soft and lilting, sang from the throne room, where her father sat, eyes kind and watchful. The light of the great chandeliers danced across their faces, casting halos of gold that made them seem almost divine. The family gathered together in a lovely symphony of music and colors.

  Then she saw Kael, his boyish grin and the dark curls that refused to stay tamed as they sparred with wooden swords. The clatter of their mock battle filled the summer air, a sound she had not heard in years but remembered as if it were yesterday. She felt the sting of a playful hit, the warmth of their shared laughter. The scent filled her, jasmin, earth and the wood that carefully chipped with every blow between their swords.

  As the warmth faded, replaced by the chill of that fateful night. The castle shrouded in shadow, the echo of hurried footsteps, her mother’s last whispered words: “Survive, through every shadow.” Aerin’s heart clenched as she relived the horror, the flames that devoured everything, the roar of betrayal that rang in her ears. The air started to suffocate her, her lungs restricting, tighter and tighter and tighter. She lost her parents over and over again. Through every dream, through every memory and through every breath.

  The memories wrapped around her, showing her the path her uncle had taken. His departure from Enderris, the silent anguish as he stood on the shores of Thalindria, surrounded by scholars and wielders of old magic. His determination to protect a legacy he could not save but swore to avenge. His return now, marked by years that carved lines into his face and left silver in his hair, brought them full circle.

  When Aerin came back to the present, the room fell into place, the weight of it all crashed over her. Tears she hadn’t realized were there silently slipped down her cheeks, and she looked up at the man before her—her mother’s brother, the last piece of her lost family. His eyes mirrored her grief.

  “Uncle,” she whispered, the word barely escaping as her voice broke.

  He nodded slowly, their hands still clasped, fingers intertwined in shared strength. The energy between them hummed with an ancient resonance, as if the power of their bloodline had been reignited. The fire in Mara’s hearth flared, its golden light casting long, flickering shadows across the room as the world around them returned in a rush of sound and sensation. Talon blinked at them , Mara gasped, and Elden’s pained groan filled the space once more. What had felt like hours, only happened in seconds.

  Aerin felt different. The fragments of who she was had been pieced together, her lineage, her legacy. The memories stitched clearly into her soul.

  Her magic boiled, unlike before when she only felt a small simmer deep, deep below in her body. It filled her veins, pumped steadily with every heartbeat, thrumming with every movement.

  She met Kael’s worried eyes from across the room, his cheeks stained with tears, and in that moment, she knew— He had seen it all, through her eyes.