Bound by the Dark Prince

The whispers in Evelyn's mind no longer felt like foreign voices—they felt like a part of her. Their words were still fragmented, but each syllable carried weight, pulling at something buried deep within her soul.

Kael watched her with quiet intensity. "You are hearing them more clearly now."

Evelyn nodded, pressing a hand to her chest. Her heart raced, not from fear, but from the overwhelming sense that she was on the edge of something monumental. "They're not just voices… they're memories, aren't they?"

Kael's expression darkened. "In a way, yes. They are echoes of who you were—of the power that was sealed away."

Evelyn's fingers curled into fists. "Then I want to remember everything."

Kael tilted his head slightly, his crimson eyes gleaming in the dim candlelight. "Memories are like rivers, Evelyn. If you force them to flood too quickly, they can drown you."

Evelyn met his gaze, unwavering. "Then let me drown."

A flicker of something—respect? Admiration?—passed across Kael's face, but he gave no verbal acknowledgment. Instead, he turned toward the altar once more, placing both hands on its surface. The symbols carved into the stone began to glow faintly, pulsing in rhythm with an unseen force.

"Step forward," he commanded.

Evelyn hesitated only for a breath before obeying. The moment she touched the altar, a shockwave of energy tore through her body, and the world around her shifted.

She was no longer in the chamber.

A grand hall stretched before her, its marble pillars towering high, flames dancing in golden sconces along the walls. The air was thick with tension. At the far end of the hall, a figure stood with their back to her, draped in regal attire. Long, flowing hair cascaded down their back, and power radiated from their very presence.

Evelyn took a step forward, her heartbeat hammering in her chest. "Who…?"

The figure turned.

Evelyn's breath hitched. It was her. Or at least… a version of her. This woman bore her face, but there was something different—an air of authority, of absolute command. And her eyes… they burned with an ancient fire.

The other Evelyn studied her, a knowing smile curving her lips. "You're finally listening."

Evelyn swallowed hard. "Who are you?"

The woman's smile didn't falter. "I am the truth you've been searching for."

A thousand questions formed in Evelyn's mind, but before she could speak, the world around her shattered. A piercing pain lanced through her skull, and she gasped, collapsing to the ground.

Kael's hands were on her shoulders when she came back to the present. His grip was steady, grounding. "Breathe."

Evelyn forced air into her lungs, her vision swimming. The memory—vision?—had been more vivid than anything she had experienced before. She looked up at Kael, her voice hoarse. "I saw her."

Kael's expression didn't change, but his grip tightened slightly. "Then it has begun."

Evelyn shuddered. This was only the beginning, and yet she could feel it—an unraveling, a revelation, a storm gathering just beyond the horizon.

And there was no turning back now.