Page 112 of Shadows of Change

"Kaia." Lira's voice is quiet but urgent. "All of you. Come with me. Quickly."

Something in her tone makes my shadows tense. Even Finnick's usual chaos stills as we follow her down a narrow corridor I've never noticed before, away from the main halls.

The passage opens into a small circular chamber, its walls covered in softly glowing runes that pulse faintly in rhythmic patterns, as though alive. The symbols shimmer with hues of gold and silver, casting ethereal reflections that dance across the smooth stone floor. The air hums with quiet power, each rune exuding an aura of ancient purpose, amplifying the gravity of the moment. Lira touches one and the entrance seals behind us, the magic humming with ancient power.

"We don't have much time," she says, turning to face me. Her silver eyes fixed on where my wings pulse in that other plane. "The board will review the crystals, but Lady Virath... she's not looking for answers. She's looking for confirmation."

"Of what?" Malrik asks sharply.

"That Kaia is exactly what she fears. What Alekir has been waiting for."

The name sends a chill through me. The Heart of Eternity almost vibrates in response, and another memory surfaces—my mother's voice, low and melodic, singing ancient lullabies about warriors who walked between realms. Her tone was both soothing and powerful, each note wrapping around me like a warm embrace, filling me with a sense of safety and awe.

"The Heart," I whisper, my fingers finding the amethyst at my throat. "It's not just for my protection, is it?"

"No." Lira's expression softens with something like grief. "Your mother—Solveig—she knew this day would come. The Heart wasn't just protecting you, Kaia. It was preparing you."

Malrik hums quietly with the knowledge he was right.

Dammit.

A hand squeezes my shoulder in comfort. I’m not even sure who it is, but I know I can’t dwell right now. I shake my head as if clearing my thoughts, looking back at Lira. “For what?" But even as I ask, I feel the truth settling into my bones.

"The Valkyrie weren't just warriors," Lira explains. "They were guardians of the gates between realms. Every door, every threshold where one world bleeds into another—they kept the balance."

"Until Alekir," Malrik says, his silver eyes sharp with understanding. There's something in his voice—a weight of knowledge that makes my shadows stir uneasily.

"Until Alekir," Lira confirms, and the name seems to darken the very air. "He didn't just want to cross between realms. He wanted to break down the walls completely. To let chaos reign."

Mouse growls softly, and my shadows coil tighter. Bob forms what looks like a battle plan in shadowy script, while Patricia's note-taking becomes almost frantic. The newest shadows, barely formed wisps of darkness, press closer to their more experienced siblings, seeking reassurance.

"My parents stopped him?" I ask, though it feels more like a statement.

Lira nods, her silver eyes glinting with a mix of sorrow and admiration. "Solveig and Idris. Your mother and father were chosen for what they represented, light and shadow. The Heart of Eternity bound them together, not by love at first, but by duty. Their union was the key to sealing the gates Alekir tried to shatter."

I frown, the weight of her words settling heavily in my chest. "So it cost them everything?"

"It cost them their choice," Lira corrects gently. "Their bond wasn't their decision, it was their burden. But over time, they found something deeper. They fell in love, not because of the Heart's will, but despite it. And from that love, you were born."

Her voice softens, carrying an ache that feels centuries old. "Your mother hoped for a different future for you. One where you could be free to follow your heart, make your own choices, and live freely in a way she never could."

My shadows twist tighter, and Mouse's purr rumbles softly as he brushes against my ankle. "So she died trying to protect that future. To give me the chance to choose."

"Yes," Lira says, her voice a whisper. "To save the realms, yes, but also to give you the freedom she was denied."

"She knew it wouldn't last forever," Lira continues softly. "That's why she chose me—to watch over you, to help prepare you for when the seals began to fail."

The weight of it threatens to overwhelm me, but Finn's hand finds mine, grounding me. "No pressure or anything," he says lightly. "Just multi-realm-saving destiny. Totally normal Tuesday."

A laugh bubbles up despite everything. My shadows relax slightly, and even Bob breaks his militant pose to what I swear is an eye roll. The moment feels almost normal—just us, together, facing the impossible.

Until the temperature plummets.

My wings shift with warning just as the sealed entrance shatters in a flash of searing white light. The sound is wrong—not just loud, but discordant, like reality itself protesting.

Lady Virath stands in the doorway, her pristine robes crackle with an aura that doesn’t belong here, and her eyes—too deep and too empty—seem to devour the light, leaving only a hollow chill in their wake. When she smiles, the expression doesn't touch those empty eyes.

"I wondered where you'd slither off to," she says, her voice carrying an echo that doesn't belong in this realm. "Always interfering, Lira. Always trying to delay the inevitable."

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