The traitor’s oath
902 Words
The Second Seal floated through the air.
Slowly.
Silently.
As if the silver flame itself recognized its destination.
Luna reached out instinctively.
The crystal dissolved into shimmering particles.
The silver flame entered the Moon Crown.
A second symbol ignited between its branches.
Two of nine.
The cathedral shook.
The Moon Crown had become heavier.
Luna staggered.
Kael caught her before she could fall.
“Your Majesty.”
She smiled weakly.
“I’m beginning to hate that title.”
Kael couldn’t help but smile.
“I’ve waited centuries to say it.”
For the first time since the war had begun…
Luna laughed.
It lasted only a heartbeat.
Then Morgana coughed.
Blood spilled across the marble floor.
⸻
The Last Commander
Lucien knelt beside her.
“She’s dying.”
Morgana chuckled.
“I noticed.”
The burn from the Harbinger’s fire spread across her body like black veins.
It wasn’t ordinary fire.
It was consuming her soul.
Luna knelt beside the fallen commander.
“Let me help.”
Morgana gently caught her wrist.
“No.”
“I can heal you.”
“You can heal flesh.”
She smiled sadly.
“But my soul died centuries ago.”
Seraphina slowly approached.
Her ghostly form trembled.
“Morgana…”
The woman looked up.
For the first time…
Her cold gray eyes softened.
“My Queen.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
Morgana whispered.
“You gave me everything.”
“I failed you.”
“You never failed.”
Seraphina fell to her knees beside her oldest friend.
“I left you.”
“You saved the world.”
“I abandoned my people.”
Morgana slowly shook her head.
“You gave us something worth protecting.”
Tears rolled down Seraphina’s face.
“I thought you died.”
“I almost did.”
Luna looked between them.
“What happened?”
Morgana closed her eyes.
“The night the kingdoms fell…”
⸻
Nine Hundred Years Earlier
Fire covered the capital.
The palace had become a battlefield.
Bodies filled the streets.
Kael, younger and covered in blood, fought dozens of enemies at once.
Lucien stood atop the palace walls, holding back an army of vampires who had betrayed their emperor.
Alaric led the last werewolf charge through burning gates.
Inside the throne room…
Seraphina stood before the Moon Crown.
“The seals are ready.”
Morgana knelt before her.
“I’ll buy you time.”
“No.”
“You need to live.”
“I swore an oath.”
Seraphina embraced her.
“We’ll meet again.”
Morgana smiled.
“In another life.”
Then…
The doors exploded inward.
A woman dressed in black entered.
Her face was hidden.
Her sword dripped silver blood.
She pointed at Seraphina.
“The Queen dies tonight.”
Morgana stepped in front of her.
“Not while I breathe.”
The vision ended.
⸻
Present Day
Luna stared.
“Who was she?”
Morgana’s expression darkened.
“I never learned her name.”
The Shadow King did.
His eyes widened.
“No…”
He whispered.
“It couldn’t be.”
Everyone looked toward him.
“What?” Lucien demanded.
The Shadow King slowly backed away.
“I thought she died.”
“Who?”
His voice was barely audible.
“The Ninth Child.”
Silence.
Morgana’s eyes opened.
Fear filled them.
“No…”
Luna frowned.
“The forgotten son?”
“He wasn’t a son.”
Morgana whispered.
“She was…”
Everyone froze.
“…a daughter.”
The room became deathly still.
Seraphina stared at Morgana.
“That’s impossible.”
“We all believed the Moon Goddess had eight daughters and one son.”
Morgana coughed violently.
“We were wrong.”
“The Ninth Child…”
“…was another daughter.”
Nerissa’s face lost all color.
“The Goddess hid her.”
“Why?”
Luna asked.
Morgana looked directly into her eyes.
“Because prophecy said…”
“…one daughter would save creation.”
“…and another would destroy it.”
The Shadow King closed his eyes.
“I loved them both.”
The confession stunned everyone.
Lucien lowered his sword.
“What?”
“I loved Seraphina.”
He smiled sadly.
“And I loved her sister.”
No one spoke.
The cathedral suddenly felt too small.
Luna whispered,
“I have a sister?”
Seraphina answered immediately.
“No.”
“You had one.”
Another earthquake shook the city.
A cold wind swept through the broken cathedral.
Then…
A woman’s voice echoed from the darkness.
“Still telling half-truths…”
Everyone turned.
Standing in the cathedral entrance…
Was a woman wearing a black crown.
Her hair was as white as fresh snow.
Her eyes glowed with molten gold.
She looked almost identical to Luna.
Almost.
But where Luna radiated moonlight…
This woman radiated shadow.
She smiled.
“Sister.”
Luna’s blood ran cold.
“I don’t know you.”
“No.”
The woman took one step forward.
“Because Seraphina erased me.”
Every candle in the cathedral extinguished.
“My name…”
She smiled wider.
“…is Nyx.”
The Shadow King slowly dropped to one knee.
Not in fear.
In grief.
“My love…”
Nyx looked at him without emotion.
“You should have let me die.”
Then she turned back to Luna.
“Our family has much to discuss.”
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