Chapter 231

Chapter 231
Lyrien's POV

I stared at the silver dagger at my feet, its purple crystals pulsing with malevolent energy. The weight of the choice before me crushed down on my chest, making it hard to breathe. My brother—my twin, my other half—stood there with pain etched across his face while Morgravia's cruel fingers dug into his shoulder.

But something wasn't right. My twin bond with Lorcan had always been unbreakable, a constant presence in my mind since birth. Why couldn't I feel him now? The Lorcan before me had his face, his build, even the small scar above his eyebrow from when we were ten—but his eyes lacked that spark of recognition, that gleam of stubborn determination that defined my brother.

"What are you waiting for?" Morgravia's voice sliced through my thoughts. "Your brother's life hangs in the balance, and you stand there contemplating?"

"How do I know that's really Lorcan?" I challenged, my voice stronger than I felt. "For all I know, it's another one of your tricks."

A flash of something—annoyance? concern?—crossed her face before settling back into cruel amusement. "Are you willing to bet your brother's life on that theory?"

To prove her point, she released another surge of purple energy from her fingertips, sending it coursing through Lorcan's body. He screamed—gods, it sounded exactly like him—and fell to his knees, body convulsing in pain.

"Stop!" I cried out, silver light flaring around my hands.

Alaric thrashed against his bonds, his teeth gritted in determination. "Lyrien," he called out, voice strained but fierce. "This isn't—"

Morgravia's hand clenched into a fist, and the purple net constricted violently around him. Alaric's words dissolved into a choked gasp, his face contorting in agony.

"Speak again, elf, and I'll crush your ribcage," she snarled before turning back to me. "Tick tock, Moon Goddess. Your brother doesn't have all day."

I looked between Alaric and Lorcan, my heart tearing in two. If this was truly my brother, how could I let him suffer? But if it was a trick...

"He's suffered enough," Morgravia said, her voice softening with false sympathy. "First losing his sacred bloodline to bring you back, and now this. Poor Lorcan, always cleaning up his sister's messes."

Her words hit like a physical blow. The memory of my resurrection flashed through my mind—Lorcan, tears streaming down his face, offering his sacred bloodline to me, sacrificing part of himself so I could live again. He'd given up a piece of his birthright for me without hesitation.

How could I do any less for him?

"He saved you," Morgravia continued, twisting the knife deeper. "And how do you repay him? By letting him suffer while you stand there, paralyzed by your own selfishness."

Another scream tore from Lorcan's throat as purple energy coursed through him. His eyes—identical to mine—locked onto my face, filled with agony and something else... a plea?

Alaric made a desperate sound, his eyes meeting mine with fierce intensity. I could see him mouthing something, trying to tell me something important despite the pain. Morgravia noticed too, tightening the net with a casual gesture until his back arched in silent agony.

Suddenly, Morgravia stiffened. Her free hand flew to her neck, fingers closing around something hidden beneath her robes. Her previously composed features contorted, twisting into a mask of rage and disbelief. She pulled out a small amulet, staring at it with naked fury as the purple stone at its center crumbled into fragments.

Something had gone wrong with her plans—I could see it in the sudden tension in her shoulders, the tightening of her jaw. Her eyes snapped back to me, now burning with renewed hatred.

"Three." She began counting without explanation, her voice clipped and urgent.

I glanced at Alaric, who shook his head frantically despite the obvious pain it caused him. The net tightened again, cutting into his skin. Blood began to seep through his tunic.

"Two." Morgravia sent another surge of purple energy into Lorcan, making him collapse completely to the ground.

My twin brother had given up his sacred bloodline for me. He'd sacrificed without hesitation. If this truly was Lorcan—real or illusion—I couldn't let him suffer for me again.

"One."

I bent down and picked up the dagger. The silver handle felt unnaturally cold against my palm, the purple crystals pulsing like a heartbeat against my skin. The same blade that had ended my life once before, now returned to finish the job.

"Good girl," Morgravia purred, satisfaction gleaming in her violet eyes.

As I held the blade, memories flooded through me—the gentle face of Seren, my first friend whose life I'd taken by accident; my fathers teaching me to fight; my mother brushing my hair at night while singing lullaby; my younger siblings who looked up to me with such admiration; Pury's gentle smile and unwavering loyalty; the friends I'd made in the divine realm who'd accepted me despite my flaws.

And the men I'd come to love in such different ways—Vex, my fated mate, whose touch both terrified and thrilled me; Kael, the dragon who had kept staying around me despite Aetheria's warning; and Alaric, the elven prince whose steady presence had become my anchor in this new life.

"Let him go first," I demanded, tears blurring my vision.

"The moment your heart stops," Morgravia countered. "Not before."

I looked at Alaric one last time, silently apologizing. Then at Lorcan, whose eyes now seemed to hold something beyond pain—was it recognition? Fear? I couldn't tell through my tears.

The silver blade felt impossibly heavy as I raised it, pointing the tip toward my heart. One quick thrust and it would be over. I'd died once before—I knew what waited on the other side. But that didn't make it any less terrifying.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, though I wasn't sure who I was apologizing to—my friends, my family, or myself.

Silver light flickered beneath my skin as I tightened my grip on the dagger. The tears flowing down my cheeks dropped to the forest floor, each one glowing briefly with lunar energy before fading into the earth.

I closed my eyes and raised the blade high, plunged it into my heart.