The Midnight Key

Lucien's golden eyes flickered in the dim candlelight, unreadable and calm, but Rene could sense the weight behind his words.

Then we'll all find out exactly what she is.

The room felt colder. Even Adrian and Adriel, usually unreadable themselves, shifted uneasily.

Rene adjusted her grip on Rena, her voice steady despite the unease curling in her chest. "You're saying something wants her. But why?"

Lucien tapped his fingers on the desk, his gaze never leaving Rena. "That depends."

"On what?" Nyra demanded.

Lucien leaned forward slightly. "On how much you're willing to remember."

A sharp silence followed.

Rene's breath caught. "What do you mean?"

Lucien studied her for a moment before sighing. He reached into a drawer, pulling out an old, tattered book. Its cover was blackened, the edges burned as if it had barely survived a fire.

"This," he said, flipping it open, "is a collection of prophecies. Most of them are nonsense—doomsayers rambling about the end of the world, cryptic nonsense that leads nowhere."

He turned a page, tracing his finger over an old passage.

"But this one—this one has always stood out."

Rene stepped closer, her heart pounding as she read the faded ink.

"When silver meets shadow, a child shall rise, unbound by time or fate. The forgotten flame shall stir, and the world shall call her name."

A chill ran through her.

Adrian and Adriel remained still, their silver eyes locked onto the words.

Nyra's jaw clenched. "You think this is about Rena?"

Lucien smirked. "You don't?"

Rene looked down at the baby in her arms, her heart twisting.

Rena. Her baby sister.

Unbound by time or fate?

"What does it mean?" Rene asked quietly.

Lucien leaned back. "It means she's different. She's not like you, not like them—" he gestured to the twins, "—and certainly not like the people of Nocturna."

His voice lowered. "She is something else."

Rene's grip tightened. "That doesn't mean she's a threat."

Lucien tilted his head. "Perhaps. But someone out there is looking for her. Calling to her." His golden eyes flickered with something unreadable. "And sooner or later, she's going to hear them."

Rene swallowed hard. "Then we'll stop them."

Lucien's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Will you?"

A sudden knock on the door broke the tense moment.

Lucien's expression darkened. He stood, moving to the entrance, but before he could reach it—

The door burst open.

A woman in a dark cloak stepped inside, her violet eyes sharp as they scanned the room. She didn't acknowledge Lucien, her gaze locking onto Rene instead.

"The Elders of Nocturna request your presence."

Rene's stomach dropped.

Nyra stiffened. "Now?"

The woman nodded once. "Immediately."

Rene glanced down at Rena. The baby stirred slightly in her sleep, her tiny fingers curling into Rene's cloak.

Something was wrong.

And she had a feeling she was about to find out exactly what.

To Be Continued...

---