Morning light poured through the broken window of the manor's guest suite, soft and golden. Dust hung in the air, undisturbed save for the slow rise and fall of breath from the figures tangled on the bed.
Ava stirred first, eyelids fluttering open. She lay between Nicholas and Ash, the warmth of their bodies still clinging to her skin like an afterthought. Nicholas was on his back, arm draped lazily across her waist, his face slack in rare peace. Ash was curled against her other side, breath steady, one hand still resting possessively at her hip.
For a moment, Ava allowed herself the stillness. The memory of last night pulsed gently in her limbs—not just the passion, but the sense of control, of knowing she was no longer alone in her hunger.
She rose slowly, careful not to wake either of them, and draped a long robe over her bare form. The floors creaked underfoot as she left the room, stepping into the cooler air of the manor's main hall.
The others were already up.
Sil sat near the fire with a book in her lap, her silver hair tied loosely at the nape of her neck. Adam stood near the broken archway, watching the horizon like a sentinel, his wings half-unfurled. The beast paced near the trees, sniffing the wind.
Ava approached the hearth. "Status?"
Sil glanced up, smiling faintly. "Nothing unusual. Though Adam heard something moving around the northern path at dawn. Didn't sound human."
Ava's eyes narrowed. "Did it follow?"
"No," Adam said without turning. "But it was close enough to smell steel and blood."
That meant they were being watched.
Ava crossed her arms, gaze drifting toward the woods beyond the ruined windows. "Then we need to move. This place served its purpose."
Nicholas entered then, yawning and stretching. "You mean besides the excellent beds and ambiance?"
Ash followed behind, freshly dressed, his expression unreadable. He moved to pack his things in silence.
Ava looked at them both. "We need coin and cover. The Gilded Registry posted a bounty last night—Sil checked the listings. Something big."
Sil nodded. "An excavation team went missing in the ruins of Old Luthis. The last message said they unearthed something that... shouldn't have been disturbed."
Nicholas whistled low. "Now that sounds promising."
"They're offering five hundred platinum," Sil added, eyes gleaming. "Enough to resupply us three times over."
Ava gave a single nod. "We take it."
Adam raised an eyebrow. "Even if it's a trap?"
Ava's smile was sharp. "Especially if it's a trap."
They broke camp within the hour. The journey would take them east again—across three valleys and through the forested pass known as Thorneveil. It was uncharted territory, rarely patrolled by Guild scouts. Dangerous. Perfect.
As they walked, the forest closed around them, shadows thickening with each step. Birds fell silent. Even the wind grew cautious.
By midday, they reached a clearing veiled in mist. Cracked stones jutted from the ground in unnatural angles, forming what looked like the broken teeth of some ancient god. The entrance to the ruins loomed ahead—blackened by fire, the air heavy with old magic.
The ground pulsed faintly beneath their boots.
Ash stepped forward, drawing his blade. "There's something under us."
Ava's lips parted. She could feel it too—like a heartbeat beneath the earth. Slow. Sleeping. Waiting.
"Let's find out what."
The party moved carefully into the ruins, weapons drawn, senses stretched thin.
Inside, the air was colder. The walls were carved with ancient sigils that flickered as they passed. Rooms lay in ruin, scrolls turned to ash, tools scattered like someone fled in a hurry.
Then they found it.
At the heart of the ruin was a chamber untouched by time. A single altar stood at its center, ringed by crystalline shards glowing faintly. And atop the altar—something wrapped in cloth, pulsing with dim light.
Sil stepped forward but Ava raised a hand. "Wait."
She approached the altar herself, her magic brushing against the cloth. It was sealed—but poorly. As if something had broken out before.
"A containment shroud," she murmured.
Ash frowned. "But it's empty."
Before anyone could respond, the floor beneath them shuddered. The crystals lit up, casting harsh white light into the room. The beast growled, low and warning.
Something was here. Still watching. Still listening.
A whisper curled through the chamber—soft and ancient.
"She has returned…"
Ava's spine straightened. "What?"
The voice came again, echoing through the stones.
"The flame who betrayed the dark. The queen who abandoned the oath…"
Nicholas drew his sword. "We need to go."
Ava didn't move. Her pulse was ice. The others didn't know—not about the oath, not about the dark. Not yet.
The altar cracked down the middle. A blinding flash exploded from it—and then, silence.
When Ava opened her eyes again, they were standing in the clearing outside the ruins. The entrance was gone—buried by a sudden rockfall. The ruins had sealed themselves, leaving only a faint scorch mark in the center of the grass.
Sil staggered. "What the hell just happened?"
Ava stood very still.
She wasn't sure.
But deep in her bones, something had changed. Something old had been stirred—and it had recognized her.
They didn't speak again until they were miles away, the sky bleeding into dusk.
Ava walked ahead, silent, her hands clenched.
The voice in the ruins echoed in her mind.