As Mother spoke, another portal suddenly tore open in the air behind her, its edges crackling with unfamiliar energy. This time, a different figure stepped through—a tall, cloaked individual whose very presence distorted the air around them. Their robe shimmered like liquid shadow, embroidered with ancient runes that glowed faintly with a pale blue light. Beneath the hood, glimpses of their face revealed pale, porcelain-like skin and eyes that burned with silver fire—eyes that felt hauntingly familiar.
The moment they stepped forward, a strange sensation surged through me—like a thousand memories trying to force their way to the surface. My heart pounded. I didn't know this person… and yet, something in me did.
Merrin moved in front of me, her blade drawn, trembling slightly. "Who are you?" she demanded. "State your purpose."
The queen rose from her throne, her face unusually pale. "No… it's not possible," she murmured. "She should not remember him."
Mother's expression turned to steel. "You kept your distance for centuries. Why now?"
The cloaked figures' voice echoed through the chamber—calm, low, and laced with an old sorrow. "Because she is waking up," he said, his eyes fixed on me. "And I made a promise... long before the memory was taken from her."
My knees weakened. Images flickered behind my eyes—a snowy battlefield, a blood-red sky, and that same figure beside me, calling out my name not as a stranger... but as someone I once loved. Or perhaps feared. Or both.
The moment his voice reached me, a jolt of pain shot through my temples. I staggered back, clutching my head as a rush of fragmented images burst through my mind—like floodgates breaking open.
A battlefield cloaked in mist. My own voice screaming commands. The cloaked figure beside me, younger then, without the scars, reaching out to shield me from an explosion of light. My hand in his. A promise made under a sky filled with falling stars. His name—just out of reach.
My breath caught as the memory tightened around my chest like a vice. "No…" I whispered. "This can't be real."
He took a single step forward, his voice softer now. "You remember, don't you, Anna? Even if only a piece."
I stared at him, my pulse roaring in my ears. "Who are you to me? Why do I remember fighting beside you… and bleeding for you?"
Merrin grabbed my arm, her voice urgent. "Princess, don't listen to him—whatever he's doing, it's some kind of trick—"
"No," I said firmly, pulling away. "This is mine. This memory… I lived it."
The figure slowly removed his hood, revealing his full face. His silver eyes held centuries of sorrow and a flicker of hope. "My name was Kai," he said quietly. "And before your powers were sealed, before your memories were ripped away… you chose me. You chose to fight beside me, against your kingdom. Against her." He turned his gaze to the queen.
Gasps echoed through the throne room. The queen's jaw tightened, her fists clenching at her sides. "That's enough," she snapped. "You have no right to speak of the past she was never meant to remember."
I turned toward her, fire rising in my chest. "Why?" I demanded. "What else have you stolen from me? What did you take—what else did you seal away?"
The queen did not answer.
Kai stepped closer, his voice trembling now. "Anna… I came back because the time of the Prophecy is upon us. You were the key before, and you are again. But this time, you must choose—not with broken memories, but with the truth."
Everything in the room seemed to still. The weight of destiny, memory, and betrayal hung thick in the air.
I looked at him—Kai—and for a single breath, I saw the girl I used to be... and the storm I was meant to become.
I took a step toward Kai, my hand trembling—not with fear, but with the flood of something ancient stirring in my blood. More fragments danced just beneath the surface: a great fire, a blade glowing with celestial runes, a whispered vow made in the dark. My magic… calling to me.
But before I could speak, the Queen's voice rang out—sharp and commanding.
"Enough!"
The air snapped with sudden force as a wave of energy exploded from her. A golden light flared from her palms, striking the floor between me and Kai, forming a barrier of shimmering flame. Merrin flinched, forced to shield her eyes, while Kai stood calmly, unmoved—his gaze never leaving mine.
I turned to my mother, stunned. "You're trying to block my memories?" I asked, my voice low. "Why?"
"You don't understand what's at risk," she said, her face drawn tight with fear—not anger this time, but true fear. "Those memories were locked away to save you, Anna. To protect you from the war your former self began. From him."
Kai's jaw clenched. "I didn't start the war. She made a choice—we made a choice. One you buried along with everything else."
"Because it would have destroyed her!" the Queen snapped back. "She was too powerful, too unstable. She nearly broke the Veil between realms. I had to seal her memories and powers, or she would've torn the worlds apart."
I stared between them, heart pounding, betrayal burning like wildfire through my veins. "You didn't seal them to protect me," I said, the truth dawning. "You sealed them to control me."
The Queen faltered. "Anna… please—"
But it was too late.
My body trembled as something deep within me surged. A glowing pattern unfurled across my skin—old sigils I didn't recognize, but that belonged to me. The flame barrier cracked and shattered, unable to hold me back. Kael took a breath, eyes wide—not with surprise, but awe.
"I remember the blade," I whispered. "I remember the oath. And I remember you, Kael."
A gust of wind burst around me, lifting my hair as the throne room trembled. Dust fell from the high arches. The guards backed away.
The Queen staggered. "No… she's awakening…"
The runes glowing on my skin pulsed in rhythm with my heartbeat, faster, brighter—until the throne room around me began to fade, swallowed by swirling mist and fractured light. The voices of Merrin, the Queen, the guards—all dulled to distant echoes, like sounds heard underwater.
Kai stepped forward and gently reached out his hand—not commanding, not forcing—just waiting. "Let me show you, Anna. You don't need to fear who you were. Only you can choose who you become."
My fingers touched his, and the moment we connected, a rush of warmth and light engulfed me.
The mist gave way to a vast battlefield beneath a blood-orange sky. Crumbling ruins floated midair, suspended by ancient magic. Across the shattered earth, warriors clad in ethereal armor clashed with shadowed beasts made of smoke and bone. Spells lit the sky like falling stars. It was a war between realms—between gods and mortals, light and void.
And in the center of it all… was me.
Not the girl I was now, but the woman I once had been: tall, radiant, wrapped in armor forged of moonstone and obsidian, wielding a blade alive with flame and frost. My eyes glowed with the same silver fire Kai bore now. My voice, when it spoke, rang across the battlefield like a war drum.
"Hold the line. No one else dies today!"
Kai stood beside me—his younger self, without the scars but just as fierce—his blade covered in celestial script, his cloak torn and bloodied. I turned to him, and even in the memory, I could feel the bond between us: battle-forged, soul-deep, and complicated by a love that burned too hot to name.
"We're outnumbered," he had said. "You don't have to do this alone."
"I was never alone," my past self answered. "But this power… I was born to end this."
She raised her blade and plunged it into the earth—and the vision cracked with blinding light. A rift tore open in the sky above, showing stars and constellations not of this world. It was the beginning of the Veil… and the moment everything changed.
I gasped as the vision ended, falling to my knees. The throne room shimmered back into focus. Kael knelt beside me, steadying me as I clutched my chest.
"I… I remember it all," I whispered. "The war. The blade. The sacrifice. I opened the Veil."
Kai nodded solemnly. "And you did it to save us all. But the cost… was your memory, your power, and the life we once had."
Merrin stood frozen in shock. The Queen was pale, her voice hollow. "Then it's begun again. The Seal is breaking. The Prophecy will come full circle."
The silence in the throne room was deafening.
I rose slowly to my feet, still shaking from the force of the vision, but something within me had shifted—settled. The weight of who I used to be was no longer a burden… it was clarity. Strength. Truth.
I turned to face the Queen—my mother—whose expression had fractured into something unreadable. Not the cold, calculated regent I had always known. But a woman unraveling beneath the truth.
"You lied to me," I said, my voice cold and clear. "You took my past. My power. And you told yourself it was to protect me. But it wasn't."
Her lips parted, but I didn't let her speak.
"You were afraid of what I'd become. Afraid that I'd remember who I truly am—and what I'm capable of."
The Queen's mask slipped. Her voice trembled with anger, guilt, and something else—fear. "You think I wanted to seal your memory? To rip your soul into fragments and hide them across time? Anna, you were tearing the Veil open. Your power was destabilizing the realms. You would have died—or worse, become something none of us could control."
"Then you should've trusted me to decide," I snapped. "Not turned me into a pawn."
Merrin stepped back, unsure where to stand—caught between loyalty and truth.
Kai watched silently, giving me space to reclaim myself.
The Queen's eyes locked with mine. "There's more you still don't remember. More that will destroy you."
"Then let it," I said. "Because I would rather face the truth and fall… than live this lie you built around me."
A long pause passed.
Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, the Queen said, "If you're serious… then you'll go to the Temple of Ashen Roots."
Kai's head snapped up. "That place is forbidden. Guarded by old magic and darker things."
The Queen nodded. "That's where the Blade was hidden… after you gave it up. Only you can retrieve it now. The seal will respond only to your bloodline and your restored soul."
I narrowed my eyes. "You sent it there so no one could ever awaken it again."
"So you wouldn't," she said.
Another pause.
"Then I'll go," I said. "To reclaim the Blade. And finish what I started."
Kai stepped beside me. "Then we go together. The Temple lies beyond the Forest of Thorns. The road is cursed, but the Blade is calling you."
I met his eyes and gave a faint nod. "Then we leave at dawn."
The Queen turned her face away, hiding something in her expression—perhaps regret, or perhaps one last secret.
But I was done waiting for permission.
I was ready to step up to the throne, but Kai suddenly pulled me back, his grip firm yet urgent. Before I could react, he leaned in and kissed me—soft, but filled with a thousand unspoken words. The world around us seemed to blur, the tension in the room fading for a moment as the weight of years and memories pressed between us.
His eyes searched mine when he finally pulled away, a flicker of vulnerability shining through the silver fire. "There's so much more at stake than you realize," he whispered. "But we face it together."
I swallowed hard, the ache inside me deepening. This wasn't just a kiss—it was a promise, a reckoning, and a beginning all at once.
The sudden closeness between us shattered the fragile calm in the room. The Queen's eyes narrowed sharply, a flash of anger and something deeper—fear—crossing her face. Her voice was cold, almost cutting through the air like a blade. "Enough of this childishness. You have a destiny to fulfill, not distractions."
Merrin's jaw tightened as she stepped forward, eyes flickering between Kai and me, a mix of protectiveness and concern. "Princess, focus. This isn't the time for… whatever that was." Her tone was firm, but there was an undercurrent of worry I couldn't miss.
I met Kai's gaze, feeling the strength of our bond, but knew the battle ahead wouldn't be just about magic or prophecy—it would be about trust, loyalty, and the difficult choices we all had to make.
I took a steadying breath, refusing to let their words shake me. "This isn't a distraction," I said firmly, meeting the Queen's cold gaze. "It's a reminder of who I am—and who I've been. Kai and I share a history that goes beyond politics and power. It's part of the reason I'm ready to face what lies ahead."
Turning to Merrin, I softened slightly. "And Merrin, I need you with me—fully. Not just as my guard, but as my friend. If we're to reclaim the Blade and uncover the truth, I can't do it alone."
Merrin's eyes searched mine for a long moment, the tough exterior cracking just enough to reveal her loyalty beneath. "I'm with you, Princess," she said quietly, her voice steady but filled with something unspoken—perhaps relief, or hope. "Every step. No matter what."
The Queen's eyes flickered with something unreadable—guilt, fear, maybe even sorrow—but she said nothing more. Instead, she turned away, her shoulders tense as if carrying the weight of a thousand secrets.
A heavy silence filled the throne room. The air felt charged, as if the very walls were holding their breath, waiting for the storm to come.
Kai stepped closer to me, his hand brushing against mine, grounding me. "We should prepare. The Temple of Ashen Roots isn't just guarded by magic—it tests those who seek the Blade. It will demand more than strength."
I nodded, feeling the fire rekindling inside. "Then we face it all. Together."
The Queen looked at us sharply and said, "He is not going to stay in this palace! I don't care if he hopes to come into your room, Anna." Her voice was cold and unforgiving, the weight of authority heavy in every word. "This is a place of order and discipline, not a refuge for old flames and dangerous distractions."
She stepped closer, her eyes burning with a mix of anger and something deeper—fear, perhaps. "If you want to reclaim your past, do it without letting him undermine the stability we've fought so hard to maintain."
Kai met her gaze without flinching, but I could see the flicker of tension in his jaw. Merrin shifted uneasily beside me, clearly caught between loyalty to the Queen and the trust she had in me.
I squared my shoulders, meeting my mother's stare. "If Kai is part of my past—and my future—then he's part of my fight. And no decree will change that."
The Queen's eyes narrowed, her composure wavering for just a moment before she masked it with a tight, bitter smile. "You always were stubborn," she said quietly, almost to herself. Then, turning her gaze sharply back to me, she added, "Very well. But mark my words, Anna—this path you choose is fraught with dangers darker than you can imagine. And I will not stand idle if you bring ruin upon us all."
With that, she swept from the room, leaving a cold silence in her wake.
Kai exhaled slowly and turned toward me. "We have little time. The Temple's defenses grow stronger with each passing day. We must gather what we need and leave before the Queen changes her mind—or worse, sends others after us."
I nodded, feeling a mixture of determination and nervous anticipation settle over me. "Let's prepare. We'll need supplies, information, and allies—anything to face the Forest of Thorns and what lies beyond."
Merrin stepped forward, her usual steely resolve back in place. "I'll make the arrangements. No one will follow us without my knowledge. Now, go spend some time with each other."
Kai smirked at the Merrin's words and replied, "Oh, I'll make the most of every moment with her." Then, without waiting for permission, he took my hand and led me through the portal.
The portal's interior was strange—distorted, shifting with colors that bled into each other like oil on water. The air felt damp, the edges slick with something that shimmered unnaturally, as if the realm itself was halfway between dreaming and waking.
When we emerged on the other side, we found ourselves in a dimly lit chamber—a quiet, private space, and at its center stood a bed that Kai had clearly prepared.
Without a word, he turned to me, a mix of longing and intensity in his eyes. He gently pushed me back onto the bed, his hands never rough, only sure. He climbed above me, brushing my hair aside as he leaned down, pressing warm kisses to my neck, then trailing to my cheek… and finally to my lips—deep, lingering, and filled with everything we hadn't said.
When his lips finally left mine, the silence that followed was not awkward, but charged—thick with emotions that words hadn't yet caught up to. Kai rested his forehead gently against mine, his breath warm and uneven.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he whispered, voice low and aching, "I wasn't sure you'd ever remember… not fully. Not what we had. Not what we lost."
I looked up into his silver eyes—still storm-touched, still hiding so much. "I don't remember everything," I admitted softly. "But I remember you. And how I felt when I was with you. It's like my soul never forgot."
His hand brushed across my cheek, thumb lingering just under my eye. "You were never just a weapon. You were the fire the gods feared and the hope I clung to. When they sealed your memories, it felt like I lost you twice—once in the war, and once in peace."
A tear slipped down my cheek, not from pain, but from the weight of everything that had been stolen—and everything we might still reclaim. "I feel like I'm standing between two lives. The one I've lived… and the one I lost. And neither of them makes sense without you in them."
Kai leaned down again, but not to kiss me—this time, just to hold me. His arms wrapped around me, anchoring me in the quiet between heartbeats.
"No matter what comes next," he murmured, "we face it together."
I closed my eyes and let the moment wrap around us like a shield. For the first time in years—perhaps lifetimes—I felt safe.
But outside the stillness of that chamber, the forest awaited… and so did the Blade.