79

79
POV Elowen Starfire.

The silence in that room was so suffocating... it felt like the walls were going to swallow us whole. A knot formed in my chest, as if something were squeezing my heart.
My little sister was there, but she seemed miles away... as if she were torn... between reality and a dark prison.
There... kneeling beside her, I brought my fingers to her forehead, feeling the faint warmth of her skin.
I took a deep breath.
I just wanted it to... end, for her to be safe...
At times, she trembled. At other times, she muttered incomprehensible words that I couldn't understand.
I would do anything to see her smile again. I wanted to see her running through the fields of Aetheria with flowers woven into her hair and her cheeks flushed in the cold of the afternoon.
“Princess.”
Theron’s deep voice cut through the haze. My father’s old beta stood like a fortress, his amber eyes steady on me. “What are your orders?”

I rose slowly, wiping my hands on the hem of my tunic, and faced the group gathered in front of me — Theron, the wolves who had sworn loyalty to my father, and the elven soldiers who still refused to abandon us.

“You stand guard,” I commanded, keeping my tone firm even as fear scraped at my throat. “If anyone dares to cross that door… you don’t hesitate. Strike them down. Whatever happens in here, this ritual cannot be interrupted.”

Theron bowed his head once, unwavering.
“For you and the young princess, we fight until the last breath.”

I turned to Victor. He was already kneeling beside a circle etched on the ground, drawn with golden powder from the small pouch he carried. He laid out herbs, tiny bones, and crystal fragments around an ancient metal cauldron he’d found deeper inside the cave. His hands shook faintly, but his eyes were focused, determined — as though he’d been preparing for this moment his whole life.

“When they cast the spell to imprison Princess Aeloria… I saw something,” he murmured, not looking up. “A way to break it. But you must know the cost.”

I moved closer, keeping Aeloria in my peripheral vision. “Tell me.”

“To shatter the magic binding your sister… blood must be paid. And more than that — a part of your power must be transferred into an object that will hold the fracture closed.”

My brow tightened. “And what happens to that object? Does someone keep it? Could it be used against me?”

“No.”
He shook his head quickly. “I swear it won’t. That’s simply the requirement — I didn’t choose it. It’s written in my family’s ancient texts. The alternative was… draining all your blood.”

My stomach lurched, but my expression didn’t waver.

“You will keep the object. Hide it. No one — absolutely no one — can ever get their hands on it.”

Victor swallowed hard. “I swear on my life I will protect it… even if it kills me.”

A quiet moment passed between us. Victor was no longer just a human boy — he had abandoned his family’s legacy for Aeloria. For me. For peace.

“Then begin,” I said softly, eyes drifting back to my sister, trapped in that endless sleep. “Do what needs to be done.”

Victor started chanting in a tongue I’d never heard. Ancient, heavy. His voice echoed off the walls with a weight that made my skin prickle. The herbs inside the cauldron burned, releasing a scent of damp soil, crushed roots, and something sharp and metallic. Smoke rose — thick yet shimmering, golden flecks floating like enchanted sparks.

“Come here, Princess,” Victor said, offering me a small silver dagger.

I inhaled deeply.

“It will sting,” he warned gently.

“It won’t hurt more than seeing her like this.”
I extended my arm without hesitation.

He grasped my wrist and slid the blade across my forearm in a clean, practiced motion. Fire ripped through my skin, but I didn’t flinch. My blood fell into the cauldron in steady, vivid drops.

Immediately, the smoke changed — swirling upward in spirals reaching the ceiling. The glow brightened, pulsing like a living heartbeat.

“Elowen…”
Aeloria’s fragile voice cracked through the room. I spun around.

Her eyes were half-open. Glazed… but aware.
“Sister…?”

I dropped beside her, grabbing her hand. “I’m here, my little flower. It’s going to be all right. We’re getting out of this — together.”

Victor’s chanting grew louder faster. The ground trembled around the cauldron. The guards stiffened. One of the wolves growled, but Theron lifted a hand, stopping anyone from stepping forward.

“It’s working!” Victor shouted, sweat dripping down his temples, his eyes glowing from the strain of the magic.

Aeloria squeezed my hand weakly. Her skin burned with fever, but she was present now — truly present. Tears welled and overflowed down her cheeks.

“Don’t leave me…” she whispered.

“I never will,” I murmured against her hair. “Never.”

The cauldron was now engulfed in blinding light. My blood inside it blazed like molten fire. A draining weakness crept through my limbs, pulling at something deep inside me — stealing a piece of my power.

Victor grabbed a small dark vial and filled it with the glowing smoke, sealing it shut with a sharp metallic snap.

“The curse is broken,” he said between breaths. “She’ll recover… but you still need to surrender the rest of your power—”

“I’m fine,” I cut in.
My body trembled, but my spirit felt steadier than ever.
I was still bleeding.
But she was alive.
She was looking at me.

And that was enough.

Victor slipped the vial into his cloak, his expression solemn.
“This power… it’s dangerous. I’ll ensure no one ever reaches it. Even if it costs my life.”

I nodded, blinking back tears I refused to let fall. I couldn’t break now. Not yet.

“Thank you,” I whispered. “For saving my sister.”