The cavern trembled beneath my feet.
Aetherion’s words echoed inside my head long after he stopped speaking.
The Blood Heir is the prison key.
My breathing turned uneven. Silver energy flickered uncontrollably around my body, reacting to emotions I could no longer contain.
Fear.
Anger.
Confusion.
If what he said was true… then my entire existence had never been my own.
I wasn’t chosen.
I wasn’t special.
I was a seal.
A cage.
“No…” I whispered, shaking my head. “That can’t be true.”
Theodore stepped closer, his golden aura pressing warmly against mine. Even in his massive Lycan form, his presence grounded me.
“Don’t listen to him,” Theodore growled. “He’s manipulating you.”
Aetherion watched us calmly, almost patiently.
“I have no need for lies,” he said.
Behind him, the an
