Elara did not move.
“Opened?” Her voice was barely audible.
The soldier standing before them nodded quickly.
“The seal has broken, Your Majesty. The tomb guards found a crack in the main stone.”
“Did anyone get inside?”
“No, Your Majesty. We sealed off the entire area immediately.”
Adrian stood. “Prepare the troops.”
“For what?”
“For the tomb.”
Elara stood as well. “I’m coming.”
Adrian turned to her. “No.”
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
Elara sighed. “If my family’s tomb has been opened, don’t I have the right to know what happened?”
“That’s exactly why you’re not coming.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t know what we’ll find there.”
Elara stared at him for several seconds. “And you think I’ll be safer if you leave me alone in the castle?”
Adrian fell silent. Elara pointed toward the soldiers.
“You just said my family’s tomb has been opened. If something wakes up in there, I’m sure it won’t come out just to say good morning.”
One of the soldiers lowered his face to hide his expression.
Adrian stared impassively at Elara. “You talk too much.”
“Because you’re stubborn.”
Silence fell over the room. The soldiers exchanged glances. No one usually dared say anything like that to the king.
Adrian let out a long sigh. “Prepare a horse for her.”
Elara gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”
“I’m not finished.”
Elara’s smile vanished.
“Don’t stray far from me while we’re at the tomb.”
“All right.”
“And don’t touch anything.”
“All right.”
“If I tell you to leave, you leave.”
Elara nodded. “All right.”
Adrian walked past her.
“And stop saying ‘all right’ if you have no intention of obeying.”
Elara followed him. “I haven’t necessarily agreed to obey.”
Adrian stopped. Elara nearly ran into his back. The man turned around.
“Exactly what I expected.”
The Vale family tomb lay far beyond the capital, in the heart of an ancient forest that even the kingdom’s hunters refused to enter.
The journey took nearly an hour.
Elara rode behind Adrian. They barely spoke the entire way. And yet something kept drawing her attention to the man ahead of her.
Ever since they had left the castle, the curse symbol on Adrian’s hand had turned dark again. But every time Elara drew near, golden lines reappeared across it.
As if their bodies shared a connection neither of them understood. Elara looked down at her own palm.
The light had already vanished.
“Why me?” The question slipped out before she could stop it.
Adrian glanced back. “What?”
“Why does your curse react to me?”
“I don’t know.”
“A king is supposed to know a lot of things.”
“Unfortunately, I’m not an encyclopedia.”
Elara almost laughed. Almost.
Adrian turned his attention back to the road. “Don’t get too happy.”
“I’m not laughing.”
“I can see it on your face.”
Elara rolled her eyes.
They fell silent again. But a few minutes later, the forest ahead of them changed.
Fog descended so suddenly that the soldiers behind them began slowing their horses. Adrian raised a hand.
“Stop.”
Everyone came to a halt. Elara looked ahead.
Beyond the trees stood an ancient stone gate. Two statues of knights stood on either side of the entrance.
A black rose emblem adorned each statue’s chest. A shiver ran through Elara’s body.
“I’ve seen this place before.”
Adrian turned to her. “When?”
“In a dream.”
Adrian’s expression changed. “What kind of dream?”
Elara tried to remember. “I was standing in front of this gate.” She closed her eyes. “Someone was with me.”
“Who?”
Elara opened her eyes. “I don’t know.”
Then a voice rang out from within the forest.
“Liar.”
Every soldier immediately drew his sword. Adrian dismounted.
“Who’s there?”
There was no answer.
Then a soft laugh echoed through the trees. A woman’s voice.
“After a hundred years, the Vale blood has finally returned.”
Elara froze. Adrian stepped in front of her.
“Who are you?”
A woman emerged from the fog.
She wore a long gray cloak. Her white hair fell to her waist, and her eyes were an unusual shade of gold.
The soldiers raised their swords. But the woman did not look afraid. Instead, she stared at Elara.
“Little girl.”
Elara frowned. “Who are you?”
The woman smiled. “My name is Lysandra.”
She stepped forward. “And I’m the last person who saw your family before they were slaughtered.”
Elara fell silent. Adrian immediately raised a hand.
“Stop.”
Lysandra stopped. “King Veyr.” Her gaze shifted to Adrian. “So you’ve finally come.”
“What happened at the tomb?”
Lysandra smiled. “I didn’t open the seal.”
“Then who did?”
“Not who.” She pointed toward Elara. “She did.”
Elara immediately shook her head. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Not consciously.” Lysandra moved closer.
Adrian blocked her path. “Don’t come any closer.”
Lysandra let out a soft laugh. “Interesting.”
“What?”
“According to the prophecy, you were supposed to be the first person to kill her.”
Adrian’s gaze sharpened. “What prophecy?”
Lysandra looked at Elara. “A prophecy the king was never told.”
Elara felt the tightness in her chest grow worse. “What does that mean?”
Lysandra pointed toward the tomb gate. “Open the door.”
“What?”
“Place your hand there.”
Elara looked at Adrian.
“Don’t.”
“But—”
“Don’t do anything.”
Lysandra smiled. “If you want to know who you are, you’ll have to open it yourself.”
Elara looked at the stone gate. For some reason, a strange urge stirred inside her, as if something beyond the door were calling to her.
Adrian seized her arm. “Don’t listen to her.”
Elara looked at Adrian’s hand gripping her arm. A golden light suddenly appeared.
The black symbol on Adrian’s hand cracked again. This time, the cracks were far larger. Adrian released her at once.
“What—”
A rumbling sound came from inside the tomb. The ground trembled. The stone gate slowly opened on its own.
The soldiers backed away.
Elara stared into the darkness beyond the door. Then a voice rang out. Not from outside, but from inside her head.
“Elara.”
She froze. The voice sounded achingly familiar.
“Don’t trust the king.”
Elara looked at Adrian. He had heard something too. His expression changed.
“What did you hear?”
Elara did not answer, because the voice spoke again. This time, more clearly.
“He’s not the one who saved you. He’s the one who killed you.”
Elara took a step back. Adrian watched her closely.
“Elara?”
The woman looked at him, her face pale.
“In my previous life…” She swallowed. “Did I ever know you?”
Adrian did not answer. For the first time, the king who always had an answer for everything looked utterly speechless.
Lysandra smiled from a distance. “Now you’re starting to remember.”
Inside the tomb, a red light flared to life. Then came the sound of chains shifting.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Adrian immediately drew his sword. “Everyone, fall back.”
But Elara did not move. Her eyes remained fixed on the darkness inside the tomb. A shadow slowly emerged. Someone was walking out.
And when moonlight touched its face, Elara felt her entire body go numb.
That face… was her own. Only older. Paler. With blood trickling from the corner of its mouth. The shadowy woman smiled.
“Adrian.”
The king froze. The woman looked at Elara.
“So finally…” Her smile widened. “…you’ve managed to be reborn.”