CHAPTER 19
Timeline: 0 Days — 18th Birthday
The name hung in the air, bright and unshakable, and the world shifted.
Cole froze, his blade still raised, blood dripping from his knuckles onto the floor. His eyes widened—shock, relief, disbelief, all warring in one heartbeat. Then he moved, crossing the room in three long strides, dropping to one knee before me. Not as a warrior. Not as a contender. As mine.
The power in my veins roared to life, answering the choice, thrumming so strong it lit the room in a soft, golden glow. The invaders flinched, shielding their eyes, but my focus never left him.
“Repeat the words,” I said, my voice steady, carrying that same ancient weight. “After me.”
“I will.” His answer was immediate, fierce, absolute. “Anything. Everything.”
I pressed the silve
