Chapter 149 148: Portal, Prince & Power

Chapter 149 148: Portal, Prince & Power

Morning light spilled gently through the tall windows of Seraphine's room.

The academy grounds were unusually calm today, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

Seraphine stood beside her bed, folding the last few clothes into a small travel bag. She paused for a moment, looking around the room.

It felt strange.

Only a few weeks ago this had been just a temporary place while she figured out what Aetherborn Academy even was.

Now it felt like home.

She closed the bag slowly. Today she would return to the human world. Not forever. Just long enough to settle the pieces of the life she had left behind.

Her mind drifted back to the conversation she had earlier with Damien. He had agreed to go with her but the decision hadn't been easy.

They had met in one of the quieter gardens near the academy towers.

For the first time since the essence transfer, Seraphine noticed how different Damien felt. The golden aura that once surrounded him as a dragon prince was completely gone.

No warmth of dragon fire.

No quiet hum of ancient power.

Just Damien.

Human.

But his expression had been calm when he spoke.

"I went to the Dragon Palace yesterday," he told her.

Seraphine frowned. "To see your father?"

Damien nodded slightly. He explained that a formal letter had already been sent ahead. The letter had been written by Virelkan Duskrend himself.

It explained everything.

How Damien had sacrificed his essence for the Aetherborn. How his action had saved the entire realm. How without him, the Aetherborn might have lost its protector.

Seraphine remembered the way Damien had looked when he said the next part.

"The council acknowledged what I did," he said quietly. "And my father... agreed it was honorable."

Seraphine had felt relief for half a second.

Then Damien finished the sentence. "But he still removed my claim to the throne."

Seraphine looked at him. "Your brothers will inherit now?"

Damien nodded. "Yes." His voice had been calm.

Too calm.

"I'm no longer the heir."

A small pause followed.

"They didn't banish me," Damien said. "But..." He looked away slightly. "They don't really want anything to do with me either."

Even though he had done something brave. Even though he had saved their world. The shame of losing his dragon essence still mattered more to them.

Seraphine remembered the quiet anger that rose in her chest when he told her that.

"You deserve better than that."

Damien had given a small shrug. "It's their world." Then his expression shifted slightly. "There's also something else."

Seraphine already knew what he meant. "The boys?" she asked.

Damien nodded.

Things had become... complicated.

After the argument the previous night, he and Lucien Virelith were no longer on good terms.

Not even close.

Damien didn't repeat what Lucien had said.

But Seraphine could guess.

"I still get along with Kade and Alaric," Damien explained. "But it's... awkward."

Seraphine frowned. "What do you mean?"

Damien gave a quiet laugh. "If Lucien is in the room, Kade and Alaric can't really talk to me and if I'm there, they can't talk to Lucien either." He shook his head slightly. "So the whole place just became uncomfortable."

Seraphine could imagine it perfectly. Four powerful personalities, now divided by tension and pride.

"I think everyone is trying to pretend nothing changed," Damien said. "But everything did."

That was when Seraphine asked him the question.

"Will you come with me to the human world?"

Damien had looked surprised at first. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She didn't hesitate. "You gave up everything for me." Her voice softened slightly. "The least I can do is make sure you're not alone while you figure out what comes next."

Damien had been quiet for a long moment. Then he nodded. "Alright."

Back in the present, Seraphine lifted her bag from the bed. Her heart felt heavy but hopeful at the same time.

Soon she would walk through the portal between worlds again. Back to the human world she once called home.

_____
The academy courtyard had been cleared.

Ancient runes carved into the stone floor glowed faintly beneath the morning sky, forming a massive circle that had not been used in centuries.

Around the edges of the courtyard stood several members of the High Council.

Their robes shimmered softly with magical power as they watched carefully.

Among them stood Nyx Thorneveil, her sharp eyes fixed on the center of the circle.

Beside her were other elders of the Aetherborn realm, all gathered to witness something few had ever seen before.

The Aetherborn opening a portal by her own power.

At the center of the runic circle stood Seraphine Emberlain.

Her cloak shifted softly in the wind as magic already stirred around her.

Not far behind her stood Damien Drakaris. Damien looked almost... human among the gathered supernatural leaders. No golden dragon aura surrounded him anymore. Just quiet determination.

Nyx stepped forward slightly. "You are certain you are ready?"

Seraphine nodded. "Yes."

She had spent days mastering her power. Now that she was fully awakened as the Aetherborn, the AetherCurrent responded to her will.

She no longer needed the ancient ritual her mother once required.

And the Aetherstar was gone. There was nothing left threatening the balance of worlds. Which meant she could summon the Full Green Moon whenever she chose.

Seraphine stepped fully into the center of the circle. The runes beneath her feet began to glow brighter.

The courtyard fell silent.

Slowly, Seraphine raised her hands. Far above the academy sky, the clouds began to shift.

A faint emerald glow appeared among the drifting stars.

The Full Green Moon answered her call.

Gasps moved quietly through the gathered council members.

Even among the powerful beings present, summoning the celestial gate alone was something rarely witnessed.

Wind stirred around Seraphine.

Her hair lifted as the AetherCurrent surged through her.

Then she began to chant. Her voice carried ancient authority, the language older than the academy itself.

"Aetheris lumen... vitae vinculum... strata quinque... convenite..."

The runes carved into the stone floor ignited instantly. The ground trembled.

Magic erupted from the sigils in streams of color. Red. Gold. Blue. Violet. And finally, a radiant white light.

The streams of power rose upward, twisting together in the air like living threads of energy.
They spiraled around Seraphine, forming a cocoon of pure magic.

The atmosphere thickened with divine force. Above them, the Green Moon burned brighter. Stars shifted across the sky. Reality itself seemed to bend under the presence of the AetherCurrent.

Seraphine lifted her voice. Stronger. Commanding. "Let the veil divide!"

The winds roared through the courtyard. "Let the world beyond awaken!"

The runic circle exploded in blinding brilliance. A massive beam of emerald light shot upward into the sky, piercing the clouds.

The heavens split open. Before them, reality cracked apart like glass. A rift appeared in the sky, shimmering like liquid crystal. Beyond it stretched a breathtaking sight.

A swirling realm of stars. Floating islands. Waves of cosmic color. The pathway between worlds.

A portal had opened.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Even the ancient council members stared in awe.

Seraphine lowered her hands slowly.

The portal stabilized above the courtyard, glowing with endless energy.

She turned toward Damien. "You ready?"

Damien looked up at the impossible sky above them. Then he smiled faintly. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Seraphine stepped toward him.

Together they walked to the center of the glowing circle.

The portal pulsed with power. 

One last glance passed between them. Then they stepped forward.

The portal swallowed them in a burst of blinding light.

And in the next heartbeat-

The Aetherborn and the former dragon prince vanished into the human world.