Kael returned to the castle before dawn, his thoughts a tangled storm.
She will either love you… or kill you.
The words refused to leave his mind.
He had spent centuries fighting fate, battling his curse—but now, it all came down to Aria.
He found her standing on the balcony, staring at the moonlit forest. Her hair moved with the wind, but her shoulders were tense.
She sensed him before he spoke. "Where did you go?"
Kael exhaled. "To see my grandmother."
Aria turned, her brows furrowing. "The witch?"
"Yes." His voice was low. "She told me something. About the curse… and you."
Aria's breath hitched. "Me?"
Kael stepped closer, his silver eyes locked on hers. "There's a prophecy." He swallowed hard. "It says you will either love me… or kill me."
Silence.
The wind howled, but Aria stood frozen.
Then, she laughed—soft, disbelieving. "That's ridiculous."
Kael's jaw tightened. "Is it?"
Aria's throat bobbed.
She didn't believe in fate. She had never believed in anything—not after what her own family had done to her.
But as she stared at Kael, something inside her stirred.
Was she truly destined to love him… or destroy him?