The morning mist had not yet lifted when Seraphine woke to the strange stillness in the air.
No birds.
No rustling leaves.
No wind.
Just silence.
She sat up in bed, the silk sheets falling from her shoulders. Alaric wasn't beside her. Neither was Caelum.
Her heart skipped.
She reached instinctively for her robe and slipped into the hall. Every step echoed louder than it should, like the Sanctuary itself was holding its breath.
As she reached the staircase, she spotted Maika pacing near the east wing's arched corridor. The witch's brows were furrowed, her fingers twitching with restrained energy.
"You feel it too," Seraphine said, her voice a whisper.
Maika turned, face pale. "Something breached the outer barrier. Only for a second. Then… nothing."
"Caelum?" Seraphine asked, already moving.
"Alaric is with him. He sensed it too. He's at the training fields."
They rushed out together.
The Sanctuary's vast courtyard, usually full of warmth and sunlight, had an eerie silver sheen cast over it—as if the sun itself hesitated to shine.
Alaric stood beside Caelum, who clutched a wooden sword tightly. His face was pale.
"I saw something," Caelum said before Seraphine could speak. "A figure in the trees… with no eyes. It was watching me."
Seraphine knelt in front of him, holding his face. "Are you hurt?"
He shook his head. "No… but it was inside my mind."
Alaric straightened, eyes flashing crimson. "A seer construct. An illusion born from shadow. Someone tested our defenses."
Just then, the ground shivered. A strange ringing vibrated through the air. Windows along the Sanctuary walls shattered with a high-pitched crack. A gust of black wind roared through the garden, wilting flowers in its path.
"Get him back inside—now!" Alaric shouted.
But before they could move, a figure appeared.
Cloaked in shadow, standing above the shattered fountain.
No aura. No sound.
Just presence.
It didn't speak. Didn't move.
It only watched Caelum.
Alaric's body blurred—one step and he was in front of them, his sword drawn and glowing with ancient runes. "You will not take him."
The figure tilted its head, almost… curiously.
Then it raised its hand.
Seraphine screamed as the ground split between them. A wave of dark magic surged like a crashing tide. Alaric struck it down with a barrier, but the force knocked him back. Caelum screamed, clutching his head as if something inside him was pulling.
Seraphine rushed to him, wrapping herself around her son. "Stay with me! Caelum!"
Maika began casting, her voice chanting rapidly as sigils glowed around her palms.
Carlos came running from the west hall, daggers drawn, eyes wide with disbelief.
Then—silence.
The figure was gone.
Like mist burned away by the morning sun.
Alaric was already kneeling beside them, cradling Caelum. "He's unconscious, but his heart… it's racing like he's fighting something inside."
"It was a probe," Maika said grimly. "They weren't here to fight. They were… marking him."
Seraphine trembled, holding her son tighter than ever. "Why him? Why now?"
Carlos answered from behind, his voice heavy. "Because the world felt his power. And so did the enemy."
Alaric stood slowly, his eyes dark. "No more hiding. This is no longer a prophecy. It's war."
Night had barely fallen.
The peaceful silence from earlier was now laced with tension—every rustle, every breath, carried weight.
Alaric stood at the center of the great strategy chamber, a long black coat draped over his shoulders. A map of the Sanctuary and its outer territories glowed across the obsidian table, marked with protective runes and magical nodes.
Carlos entered quietly, no longer dressed in his usual loose attire but armored in light leather, daggers strapped to his hips, his eyes sharp.
Alaric looked up, his expression unreadable. "Thank you for coming."
Carlos stepped forward. "You called, I came. What's the plan?"
Without speaking, Alaric waved his hand. The map shifted, expanding outward until several hidden ley lines glowed around the Sanctuary.
"We're not just dealing with any enemy," Alaric said. "This is Malrik. He's using ancient elven tracking methods—long forgotten by most but not by him."
Carlos frowned. "You think he's watching through Caelum's blood?"
Alaric nodded. "Not watching. Calling. If Caelum loses control again, even for a moment, Malrik will be able to pinpoint his location."
Carlos clenched his jaw. "Then we lock the place down."
Alaric's eyes gleamed. "Not just lock it down—we reinforce it with bloodbound warding."
Carlos tilted his head. "Bloodbound?"
Alaric walked to the far wall and pulled a scroll from a hidden chamber. "A forbidden technique. Vampire, witch, and elven magic combined. We'll create a new seal—not just a barrier, but a sentient shield that adapts to every energy signature inside the Sanctuary."
Carlos let out a low whistle. "That's heavy magic."
"I'll need your help to anchor it," Alaric said. "Your blood has fed Seraphine. It's imprinted with Caelum's aura. The seal will respond to you."
A flicker of pain crossed Carlos's eyes, but he nodded. "If it keeps him safe, I'll do it."
Alaric paused. "Carlos… I never said it. But thank you. For being her shield when I couldn't be."
Carlos shrugged, trying to hide the crack in his voice. "You're here now. That's what matters."
A brief silence passed between them—one built on history, sacrifice, and the woman they both cherished in different ways.
Then Alaric raised his hand.
Together, they cut into their palms, letting their blood drip onto the arcane circle etched on the floor. It hissed and glowed, binding runes flaring to life.
The room pulsed with raw power.
Alaric chanted in an ancient tongue, the same words once spoken by the Elven King—the father whose soul now stirred inside Caelum.
As their blood mixed, the runes danced and spiraled upward, forming a dome of light that rose above the Sanctuary like a great glass fortress.
Maika and Seraphine watched from the hallway as the light spread outward, blanketing every inch of the grounds, weaving into the trees, the stones, even the air.
"It's beautiful," Seraphine whispered.
"It's more than that," Maika said, her voice hushed. "It's alive."
Just then, Caelum stirred from his nap. His eyes fluttered open, golden like the stars.
And somewhere beyond the mountains, Malrik stood in front of the Seer Mirror, frowning.
Blocked.
He turned to his council of shadows and spoke for the first time in centuries.
"Begin the invasion."