Chapter 25 THE WEAPON REVELATION
CHAPTER 025: THE WEAPON REVELATION
Corvus's office feels too small for all of us.
We're crammed in like sardines. Me, the four boys, Sofia, Morgana, and Corvus behind his massive desk.
Nobody's spoken since we got here.
Corvus finally breaks the silence. He pulls out an ancient scroll from a locked drawer. The parchment is yellow and brittle. The edges crumble when he unrolls it across his desk.
"This," he says, his voice heavy, "is the Prophecy of the Phoenix Soul."
My stomach drops.
"It was written before this academy existed. Before the Hollow King was banished to the realm between worlds."
Kieran leans forward. "What does it say?"
Corvus adjusts his glasses and reads.
"Born of shadow and flame the Phoenix Soul shall rise. Four anchors shall bind her but betrayal shall break her. In her fifth life she shall become the bridge between worlds and the Hollow King shall return."
The room goes dead silent.
My ears are ringing. I can barely hear over the sound of my own heartbeat.
"Fifth life?" My voice comes out strangled. "I've died four times?"
Corvus nods slowly. "Yes."
"How?"
"Different ways. Different circumstances. But always at seventeen. Always before you could reach your full power."
My hands start shaking. "And this is my fifth time."
"Yes."
Kieran slams his fist on the desk. "So everything that's happened to her has been part of his plan?"
"Every death was orchestrated," Corvus says quietly. "Each one made her stronger. Each resurrection brought her closer to becoming what he needs."
"A vessel," Alaric says. His voice is flat.
Corvus nods. "The Hollow King exists between dimensions. He can influence our world but he can't fully enter it. Not without a powerful anchor."
"And I'm the anchor," I whisper.
"Yes."
Sofia grabs my hand. Her fingers are ice cold. "So what? He's just been killing her over and over to make her strong enough to bring him through?"
"Essentially."
"That's insane," Cassian says. Flames flicker around his clenched fists.
"It's calculated," Zev corrects. His voice is soft but there's an edge to it. "He's been patient. Methodical. Waiting for the right moment."
"And now that moment is here," Morgana says. She's standing in the corner. Her arms are wrapped around herself like she's trying to hold herself together.
I turn to look at her. "You knew about this."
"No." She shakes her head hard. "I knew he wanted you dead. I didn't know why. He never told me the full plan."
"Convenient," Kieran growls.
"I'm telling the truth," she snaps back. "If I'd known he was using me to set up some prophecy I never would have agreed to it."
"You tried to kill her," Alaric says coldly. "Twice."
"I know." Morgana's voice cracks. "And I'll regret that for the rest of my life however long that is."
I press my hands to my face. "So what does this mean? Everything I am, everything I've done, it's all been part of his design?"
"Not everything," Corvus says. "The bond with Morgana wasn't planned."
We both look at him.
"The duel was supposed to end with your death. Instead it created a soul bond. That wasn't in the prophecy."
"So what?" I ask. "That's supposed to make me feel better? One thing went off script?"
"It means," Zev says slowly, "that the prophecy isn't absolute."
Corvus nods. "Prophecies are powerful but they're not unbreakable. They show a path not a prison."
"Then I'll break it," I say. My voice is steadier than I feel. "I'll find another path."
"Prophecies can't be broken," Alaric says. His red eyes are fixed on me. "Not without consequences."
"I don't care about consequences."
"You should," Kieran says. "Because if you break this one wrong you might destroy everything."
"Then I'll break it right."
Cassian steps forward. His expression is fierce. "We'll fight with you. Whatever it takes."
Zev nods. "We've been tied to you across lifetimes. We're not letting him take you now."
Kieran's eyes glow gold. "If the Hollow King wants to use you as a weapon he'll have to go through us first."
Something in my chest loosens. Just a little.
"What about me?"
We all turn to look at Morgana.
She's still pressed against the wall but she's standing straighter now. "I'm bonded to her too. Does that make me part of this?"
Corvus's expression softens slightly. "The bond connects you to her fate. If Thalira falls so do you."
Morgana swallows hard. "Then I guess I'm on her side now."
I stare at her. "You mean that?"
"I don't want to die," she says. "And I don't want to be his puppet anymore. If helping you helps me then that's what I'll do."
It's not a declaration of loyalty. It's not friendship.
But it's honest.
And right now that's more than I expected.
Sofia squeezes my hand. "So what's the plan?"
"We need to remove the seeds first," I say. "Before they take root completely."
"How long do we have?" Cassian asks.
I press a hand to my chest. The seed pulses hot under my skin. "Less than two days now."
"And if we can't remove them?" Sofia asks quietly.
Nobody answers.
Because we all know what happens if we can't.
"There has to be a way," Kieran says. "Some kind of magic that can extract them."
Corvus shakes his head. "I've searched every text in the restricted archives. There's nothing."
"Then we make something," I say. "We figure it out ourselves."
"With what knowledge?" Alaric asks. "None of us have ever dealt with this kind of magic before."
"Then we find someone who has."
"Who?" Zev asks. "The only person who would know how to remove a piece of the Hollow King's power is the Hollow King himself."
The words hang in the air like a noose.
Morgana speaks up. "There might be someone else."
We all turn to her.
"Who?" I ask.
She hesitates. "Before the Hollow King was banished there were others like him. Ancient beings who walked between worlds. Most of them are dead or gone but there's one who might still exist."
"Who?" Kieran demands.
"The Oracle of Ash." Morgana's voice is barely above a whisper. "She's older than the Hollow King. Some say she's the one who helped banish him in the first place."
"Where is she?" I ask.
"Nobody knows. She disappeared after the banishment. Some think she's dead. Others say she's hiding."
"That's not helpful," Sofia mutters.
"It's better than nothing," I say. "If she exists we find her."
Corvus frowns. "The Oracle is a myth Thalira. A story parents tell their children."
"So was the Phoenix Soul," I shoot back. "And here I am."
He doesn't have an answer for that.
"How do we find her?" Cassian asks.
Morgana bites her lip. "There's a ritual. One that's supposed to call her attention. But it's dangerous."
"Everything is dangerous right now," I say. "Tell me what we need."
She takes a breath. "Blood. Magic. And a willingness to pay her price."
"What price?" Alaric asks.
"Nobody knows until she names it."
Kieran shakes his head. "This is insane."
"Do you have a better idea?" I ask.
He doesn't.
"Then we do the ritual," I say. "Tonight."
"Thalira wait," Sofia starts.
"We don't have time to wait. The seeds are growing. In two days we're both going to be his puppets. I'm not letting that happen."
Corvus stands. "If you're going to do this you'll need a protected space. The ritual chamber beneath the academy."
"Will you help us?" I ask.
He looks at me for a long moment. Then nods. "I'll prepare the chamber. But Thalira understand that once you start this there's no going back."
"I know."
"And if the Oracle doesn't come—"
"Then we're out of options," I finish. "I know that too."
He sighs. "Meet me in the east wing at midnight. I'll have everything ready."
We file out of his office. The hallway feels colder than before.
The boys surround me immediately. Protective. Worried.
"You don't have to do this alone," Kieran says.
"I know."
"We'll be there with you," Cassian adds.
"All of us," Zev confirms.
Alaric doesn't say anything but his hand brushes mine. Just for a second.
Morgana hangs back. She looks like she wants to say something but doesn't know how.
"Thank you," I tell her. "For telling us about the Oracle."
She nods. "I hope it works."
"Me too."
Sofia loops her arm through mine. "Come on. You need to eat something before midnight."
"I'm not hungry."
"Too bad. You're eating anyway."
We walk toward the dining hall. The boys follow close behind.
But I can feel it.
The seed in my chest growing. Spreading.
Two days.
That's all we have.
Two days to find an Oracle who might not exist.
Two days to remove a piece of the Hollow King's power before it consumes us both.
Two days to break a prophecy that's been in motion for lifetimes.
As we round the corner someone steps out of the shadows.
Seraphine.
She's standing in the middle of the hallway. Smiling.
The boys move in front of me instantly.
"What do you want?" Kieran snarls.
"Just delivering a message," she says. Her voice is silk and venom. "The Hollow King knows what you're planning."
My blood turns cold. "How?"
She taps her temple. "The seeds. They're not just anchors little phoenix. They're eyes. He sees everything you see. Hears everything you hear."
Morgana makes a small terrified sound.
"So he knows about the Oracle," I say.
"He does." Seraphine's smile widens. "And he wants you to know that if you try to call her he'll make sure you never finish the ritual."
"Is that a threat?" Alaric asks.
"It's a promise."
Then she vanishes.
Just dissolves into smoke.
We stand frozen in the hallway.
"She's lying," Sofia says. But her voice shakes.
"What if she's not?" Morgana whispers. "What if he really can see through us?"