Dorian moved through the shadows, his presence nothing more than a wisp of darkness slipping through unseen cracks. He was used to walking in silence, but this time was different. His mind churned, the weight of new revelations pressing against him like a vice.
The ruins had given him an answer, but not the one he was expecting. The old group—the legendary team of warriors, scholars, and healers—had been hunted. Hunted.
And now, the same force had its eyes on Aria.
He clenched his fists, his pace quickening.
There was only one person who might hold the missing piece of this puzzle.
Saraphine.
He would find her. And this time, he wouldn't be leaving empty-handed.
The entrance to Saraphine's lair loomed ahead, carved into jagged stone like the maw of some ancient beast. The torches lining the walls flickered with eerie blue flames, casting shifting shadows that seemed to whisper as Dorian passed.
Two guards stood at the entrance. They didn't have time to react. A flick of Dorian's wrist sent a pulse of darkness lashing out, wrapping around their throats. He didn't kill them—just enough force to make them crumble, unconscious.
He stepped inside.
Saraphine was waiting.
She stood at the head of a long stone table, the room dimly lit by floating orbs of violet light. Her dark robes flowed around her like liquid smoke, and her gaze, sharp as ever, settled on him with amusement.
"Dorian," she purred. "I was wondering when you'd finally return."
Dorian didn't slow. "You knew I would."
Saraphine smiled, tilting her head. "Did I?"
She gestured to the table. A goblet sat there, half-filled with deep red liquid. "Drink?"
He ignored the offer. "I didn't come for pleasantries."
Saraphine sighed dramatically. "You never do." She leaned forward, her eyes glinting. "So, what brings you back, my dear nephew? Have you finally come to accept your place?"
Dorian's expression remained unreadable. "I'm not here to play games, Saraphine. I want the truth."
Saraphine arched a brow. "Truth?"
Dorian took another step closer. "About Celeste Evercrest."
For the briefest moment, something flickered in her eyes. Surprise. It was gone in an instant, replaced with an unreadable smirk.
"Ah," she mused. "So that's what this is about."
Dorian didn't move. "What do you know?"
Saraphine exhaled softly, running a finger along the rim of her goblet. "Celeste… now, that is a name I have not spoken in a very long time."
Dorian remained silent. He knew better than to let her lead the conversation.
Saraphine studied him for a moment, then laughed lightly. "You really are quite different now, aren't you? The boy I once guided wouldn't have dared question me."
Dorian's jaw tightened. "I was never yours."
"Oh, but you were," she murmured. "For a time."
The air between them crackled with tension.
Dorian's patience thinned. "Enough. You're stalling."
Saraphine chuckled. "And you're impatient." She traced a symbol on the table's surface, the runes glowing faintly. "Very well. I will tell you what you wish to know."
She lifted her gaze, locking eyes with him.
"Celeste Evercrest is alive."
Dorian didn't flinch. He had already suspected as much.
Saraphine watched him carefully. "And I assume you want to know why she has been kept hidden all these years?"
Dorian's voice was low. "I want to know everything."
Saraphine's smirk widened. "Then listen carefully."
"She was not just any Seeker," Saraphine began. "Celeste was part of something greater. A group of warriors, scholars, and healers… much like the one your dear Aria now finds herself leading."
Dorian's fingers twitched at the mention of Aria's name.
Saraphine noticed.
She smiled. "Ah. I see."
He ignored her and pressed on. "What happened to them?"
Saraphine's gaze darkened slightly. "They were hunted."
Dorian exhaled. He had already known this. "By who?"
Saraphine leaned back. "By the same force that now watches Aria."
Dorian felt a chill crawl up his spine. "And you know who that is."
Saraphine's lips curled. "Of course I do."
Dorian held her gaze, waiting.
But instead of answering, she said, "And tell me, dear nephew… what will you do with this knowledge?"
Dorian didn't hesitate. "I'll stop them."
Saraphine laughed softly. "How noble." She lifted her goblet. "But tell me this—do you really think you're any different from me?"
Dorian's expression hardened. "I'm nothing like you."
Saraphine smiled, but this time, it was different.
"Then prove it."
Dorian narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
Saraphine took a slow sip of her drink before setting the goblet down.
"I will give you the truth you seek, but in return… you must make a choice."
Dorian didn't move. "What choice?"
Saraphine's gaze gleamed. "Aria."
His breath hitched.
Saraphine leaned closer. "When the time comes, you will have to choose, Dorian. Will you stand with her? Or will you let the truth destroy her?"
Dorian's heart pounded. He hated that she was doing this. That she was twisting things.
But worst of all—he hated that she might be right.
Saraphine smiled knowingly. "You can leave now, if you wish. Walk away, pretend this conversation never happened. But if you truly want the truth… you know where to find me."
Dorian didn't respond. He turned, striding toward the exit.
But just as he reached the door, Saraphine's voice drifted behind him.
"Oh, and Dorian?"
He paused.
"When the moment comes… I wonder if you'll make the same choice as your father."
Dorian clenched his fists—then disappeared into the shadows.
Meanwhile, miles away, Aria sat by the fire, her thoughts heavy.
She stared into the flames, her mind replaying everything Finn's mother had told them.
Her mother was alive.
The old group had been hunted.
And something—someone—was still watching.
She exhaled, rubbing her temples.
Finn sat beside her, staring at the fire. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?"
Aria glanced at him. "Who?"
Finn didn't need to say it. She already knew.
Dorian.
Aria sighed. "I don't know what to think."
Finn's expression was unreadable. "You shouldn't trust him."
"I don't."
"But you want to."
She hesitated.
And that was enough of an answer.
Lyric, sitting across from them, watched the exchange quietly. She didn't say anything, but the look in her eyes said enough.
Aria exhaled.
Something was coming.
And deep down, she had the sinking feeling that when it arrived…
None of them would be ready.