The sky over Eldoria bled crimson as dusk sank into night, casting long shadows that clung to the cobbled streets like hungry ghosts. The air was thick with the scent of burning sage and cold iron—remnants of the day's warding rituals. Nova stood alone on the rooftop of the ancient watchtower, her arms wrapped tightly around her body as the wind whispered secrets only she could hear.
It had been three days since she discovered the truth about her mother's bloodline—about herself. Three days since the markings on her back had burned like fire, illuminating in front of the Elders during the failed cleansing. Three days since she learned the truth that shattered the last remnants of her identity. She wasn't just born under the shadow of night—she was bound to it, by blood and destiny.
"I should have known," she whispered to the wind. "The dreams, the voices… the darkness. It was never just a curse."
A flutter of movement behind her caused her to turn sharply. Kael emerged from the stairwell, his usual confidence subdued beneath a furrowed brow and tight jaw. His dark cloak billowed around him like wings of shadow, making him look more like a creature of night than a man.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," he said, his voice softer than the wind. "Not tonight."
Nova didn't respond at first. Her eyes remained locked on the horizon, where the final rays of sunlight disappeared behind the jagged mountains. "Let me guess," she said, voice tinged with bitterness. "Another omen? Another sign that I'm dangerous?"
Kael stepped closer, his voice firm. "You're not dangerous, Nova. Not unless you lose control. And right now, your emotions are like a storm without a center."
She spun to face him, the mark on her forehead pulsing faintly. "Then tell me how to control it. Tell me how to stop feeling like I'm unraveling from the inside out."
Kael reached out, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "You need to stop fighting it. Your power isn't something to cage. You have to understand it—accept it. Only then will it obey you."
Nova pulled away, pacing the length of the tower. "Accept that I'm some half-demon spawn? That I'm the reason my village was burned to the ground? That I've been lied to my whole life?"
"You are not the sins of your ancestors," Kael said. "You are the choice you make with what you've inherited."
That silenced her for a moment. The wind howled louder now, rising like a cry of warning. Nova clenched her fists, fighting the pressure building inside her. Her veins felt like they were filled with fire, her thoughts scattering like feathers in a storm. The night was calling her. She could feel it in her bones.
"What if I choose wrong?" she asked finally, her voice cracking. "What if I become everything they fear I will?"
Kael stepped close again, his eyes locking with hers. "Then I'll be there to remind you of who you are. And if that doesn't work… I'll stop you."
The truth in his words settled like a weight in her chest. A twisted comfort. He wasn't making promises of safety. He was making a vow of balance.
Just then, the watchtower trembled beneath their feet.
Kael moved instinctively, drawing his blade. "They've found us."
Nova turned to the edge of the tower and stared down. Shadows slithered across the village like liquid darkness—figures cloaked in midnight, their faces hidden behind obsidian masks. The Shadowborne.
"How did they find me?" she asked, dread clawing up her throat.
Kael growled. "They always knew. They were waiting—for your power to awaken."
A chill passed over Nova's skin as the truth hit her. They had never stopped hunting her. The moment she embraced who she was, she became a beacon. She had called to them with her power. And now, they were answering.
Without a word, she leapt from the tower, landing with feline grace on the roof of the nearby inn. Kael followed swiftly. Below them, the first of the Shadowborne began their assault, moving silently through the shadows, striking with eerie coordination. Villagers screamed, magical wards lit up the streets, and chaos unfolded beneath the moonlit sky.
Nova closed her eyes. She could feel the darkness reaching for her, not to consume her, but to join her. It wanted to be wielded.
She raised her hand and whispered a word she didn't remember learning. A torrent of black fire burst from her palm, coiling like a dragon across the street and incinerating two of the attackers. Her eyes snapped open, glowing with a haunting silver light.
Kael glanced at her in shock. "That spell—it's forbidden."
Nova stared at her hand. "I didn't cast it… it answered me."
The mark on her back pulsed again, spreading warmth through her spine like a second heartbeat.
Together, they moved through the village—fighting, defending, rescuing. Nova's magic surged with each step, wild and beautiful, but never fully out of her control. She was beginning to understand it now—not as a curse, but as a part of her. A legacy she had to shape into something new.
But even as the last of the Shadowborne was driven back beyond the warded gates, Nova knew this was only the beginning. Her display of power had been a message to both allies and enemies.
And someone had received it.
From the highest peak of Eldenfall Keep, a figure watched the battle through a mirror of silver smoke. A woman cloaked in shadows, her eyes glowing with unnatural light. She traced Nova's image with a long, clawed finger and smiled.
"She has awakened," the woman purred. "The Nightbound Heir… at last."
Back in the village, Nova stood among the smoking ruins of what had once been a peaceful square. The villagers stared at her, awe and fear mingling in their eyes. She could hear their thoughts, feel their judgment like a weight.
Kael stood beside her. "You can't stay here. They'll never see you as one of them again."
Nova nodded slowly, her gaze hardening with resolve. "Then it's time I stop trying to belong where I never did."
The night air stirred around her like a cloak, wrapping her in its cool embrace. Her path was no longer hidden. Her enemies were no longer whispers in the dark. And her power… her power was no longer a secret.
She was Nova—the Nightbound Heir. And this was the beginning of her war.