Seraphine awoke to the taste of ash in her mouth.
The chamber was eerily silent, save for the lingering hum of power in the air. The carvings along the walls still glowed faintly, their energy fading but not gone. The light that had exploded from the seal had vanished, but its imprint remained, thrumming beneath her skin.
For a moment, she lay still, letting her senses return. Her body ached, her magic was spent, but she was alive.
Then she heard a voice—low and amused.
"Still breathing, little sorceress?"
Seraphine blinked, vision adjusting. Caius stood over her, arms crossed, looking far too composed for someone who had just fought off the remnants of an ancient horror.
She scowled. "Unfortunately."
His lips curled into a smirk, but his eyes held something else—relief, perhaps. Or curiosity.
The robed figure stood further away, gazing at the now-dormant carvings. His silver eyes gleamed as he turned to them.
"The seal has accepted you."
Seraphine sat up slowly, rubbing her temple. "What… what happened?"
The figure stepped forward. "You answered its call. And it answered in return."
She swallowed hard. The voice she had heard—the weight of its presence still echoed in her mind. It had not been merely a memory or a vision.
It had spoken to her.
Caius sheathed his sword. "Which means she's more than just a descendant. She's an actual conduit."
Seraphine shot him a sharp look. "Meaning what, exactly?"
The robed figure's expression was unreadable. "Meaning the blood of the first warden runs strong in you. You are not just a bearer of the mark—you are an heir to the power that bound the Harbinger."
Her breath caught. "That's impossible."
"And yet, the seal still stands because of you."
Seraphine looked down at her hands. Power still tingled at her fingertips, but it felt… different. As if something had shifted within her.
This was no ordinary magic.
It was older. Deeper.
---
The Price of Power
She pushed herself to her feet. "If I have this power, then what now?"
The robed figure studied her. "Now, you learn to use it."
Caius chuckled. "That should be fun."
Seraphine shot him a glare before turning back to the robed figure. "And if I refuse?"
A pause. Then—"Then the seals will continue to weaken. And the Harbinger will rise."
A cold knot twisted in her gut.
She didn't want this. She hadn't asked for it.
But the truth was clear—no one else could do this.
Her mother had vanished. Her father had died keeping their secrets. And the Inquisition would destroy everything before they even understood the danger.
Her gaze hardened. "Then teach me."
The robed figure nodded. "Your training begins now."
---
The Test of the Veil
The journey out of the ruins was eerily quiet. The Shadowspewn were gone, but the air still felt heavy with something unseen.
They emerged into the open night, the sky a vast ocean of stars above them. Seraphine exhaled, relishing the fresh air despite the weight of what had just transpired.
Caius leaned against a fallen pillar, watching her. "You look like a woman who just realized she's bound to something much bigger than herself."
She shot him a dry look. "I wonder why."
He smirked. "You could still run, you know."
Seraphine scoffed. "And let the world end? Tempting."
Caius tilted his head. "You say that, but I can see it in your eyes." His gaze darkened. "You want to know what really happened to your mother, don't you?"
Seraphine inhaled sharply.
Yes.
More than anything.
If her mother was alive, if she had been keeping this secret all along—then Seraphine had to find her.
But first, she had to survive the training.
The robed figure spoke. "There is a place where you can begin. A place between the waking world and the unseen."
Seraphine frowned. "What does that mean?"
Caius sighed. "It means you're going to the Veil."
She stiffened.
The Veil.
A realm of shadows and forgotten magic. A place where time unraveled, where only the strongest sorcerers dared to tread.
A place where mortals did not return unchanged.
Her hands curled into fists. "Fine. Take me there."
The robed figure inclined his head. "Then prepare yourself, Warden of the First Seal. The path you walk is not one of return."
Seraphine lifted her chin.
"Good."
Because she had no intention of turning back.