Kael's grandmother's cabin was small, but it carried an air of ancient power. The flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows across the wooden walls, making Aria feel trapped, as though unseen eyes were watching her.
The old witch sat in her chair, her frail fingers tracing symbols on the wooden table. Her eyes—clouded with wisdom and something darker—settled on Aria.
"You already know the prophecy," she said, her voice both gentle and sharp. "You've always known."
Aria's breath caught in her throat. She had spent years pretending she didn't remember. Denying the whispers that haunted her dreams, the visions of blood and betrayal. But Kael's furious gaze burned into her, demanding an explanation.
"What is she talking about?" Kael's voice was low, strained with barely contained anger. "You knew?"
Aria swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his piercing silver eyes. "I—" Her voice faltered. "I didn't know everything. Just… pieces."
Kael's hands clenched into fists. "And you didn't think to tell me?"
The old woman sighed. "It doesn't matter now. What matters is what you choose to do next."
Kael turned back to his grandmother, his jaw tight. "Tell me everything."
The room seemed to darken as the witch leaned forward. "The prophecy doesn't just say she will love you or kill you. It speaks of something far worse."
Aria's heartbeat pounded in her ears.
"The curse on you, Kael, and the fate that binds Aria—they are the same thread in a tapestry woven long before either of you were born."
Kael stilled. "What do you mean?"
The old woman's lips pressed into a thin line. "Your curse was never meant to keep you from love. It was meant to prepare you for something greater. And Aria—her very existence is the key."
Aria shivered. "Key to what?"
"To breaking the curse." The old woman's gaze burned into her. "Or to fulfilling it in the most tragic way."
Kael's breath came out sharp. "You're saying… if she kills me, the curse is fulfilled."
The old woman nodded. "And if she loves you, truly and completely, then she may break it."
Silence swallowed the room.
Aria's stomach twisted. She had spent so long fearing the prophecy, fearing herself. But now, the weight of it threatened to crush her.
Then, suddenly, the air shifted.
A chill ran down Aria's spine, and her body tensed. Something was watching them.
Kael must have felt it too because he was already moving, stepping protectively in front of her.
The old woman's eyes darkened. "She is here."
Aria's heart slammed against her ribs. "Who?"
A shadow flickered just outside the window. A presence—dark, suffocating—pressed in.
Kael's grandmother murmured something in an old tongue, but whatever it was, the presence did not leave.
"She has been watching you for a long time," the old woman whispered. "But she is growing impatient."
Aria felt like she couldn't breathe. "Who is she?"
A slow, cold realization settled in her chest.
Her hidden enemy.
Her sister.
But she didn't know that yet.
All she knew was the fear curling around her throat like a noose.
Kael grabbed her hand. "We're leaving."
Aria could barely nod.
They stepped outside into the cold night air. The forest was silent. Too silent.
Then—
A rustle.
A shadow darting between trees.
Something was following them.
Kael's grip on her tightened. "Run."
Aria didn't hesitate. She ran.
And behind them, the darkness moved.