The air in the study turned still.
The golden light softened the edges of tension, but the weight inside the room grew heavier with every breath.
Lysandra—Selene—stood at the center of it all, her hands trembling at her sides. Her gaze shifted from Alaric to Seraphine, then to Carlos… and back again. Her usually confident posture faltered.
"There's… something I need to say," she said, voice barely above a whisper.
Alaric looked up from where he sat, his arm still gently resting behind Seraphine. Carlos narrowed his eyes warily, sensing the tremor in his sister's aura.
Lysandra swallowed. "Back then... before everything fell apart—before the fall of Ravenshade..."
She turned to Seraphine, her eyes already glassy with unshed tears. "I thought I was doing the right thing. That we were still at war. That you—Karena—and Alaric… were abandoning us."
Seraphine's breath caught, a chill running down her spine.
"What are you saying…?"
Lysandra fell to her knees, her hands gripping her skirt tightly. "It was me." Her voice cracked. "I gave the order. I commanded the archers at Ravenshade to strike down the traitors of the bloodline. I was Alaric approaching… I thought—" She choked on her words. "I didn't know Karena had sealed your nature. I didn't know you were living as humans… raising your twins in peace."
Gasps filled the room.
Alaric stood slowly, every movement deliberate. His eyes had darkened with ancient fury—but beneath it, hurt stirred in waves.
"You…" he breathed. "You ordered the massacre?"
Lysandra nodded, tears now falling freely. "Yes. I thought vampires would survive it. You were the strongest of us, Alaric—you killed our father, Dracon. You were supposed to be indestructible. But Karena's spell… she sealed your nature. She just wanted peace. A normal life for you, and your children…"
Seraphine's eyes widened. She clutched Alaric's arm for support.
"Our… twins died that day…"
Carlos looked away, his jaw clenched, fury simmering beneath his skin.
"I nearly killed her when I found out," he muttered bitterly. "She disappeared after the massacre. She didn't face us."
Lysandra sobbed, her voice shaking. "Because I couldn't. Victor—Carlos—your eyes that day… I've never felt such hatred. And I deserved it."
Alaric's fists curled.
"You let rage rule you. You let the Council's pressure blind you."
"Because you chose her over us!" Lysandra cried, standing suddenly, face streaked with tears. "In the middle of a war, you chose Karena—the royal witch girl we were supposed to hate! The one betrothed to Victor! You turned your back on your blood!"
Seraphine's voice rose, firm and cutting.
"He chose love. A family. Something you both lost in the bloodshed."
Silence echoed.
Lysandra collapsed back down, trembling. "I would undo it all if I could. I never wanted the twins to die. I thought… I thought I was protecting the bloodline. But all I did was destroy it."
Alaric closed his eyes for a long, aching moment.
Then, he knelt before her.
"Their names were Thaleia and Caelen."
Lysandra broke down completely.
Carlos turned away, pacing toward the window, jaw tight, his back trembling from restraint.
Seraphine says "The past is heavy, Serene. But we're here now. And if fate brought us back… then maybe we have a second chance. Not to forget—but to do better."
Lysandra looked up through her tears, her lips trembling. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
Then Seraphine stepped forward, her face soft and filled with emotions too complex to name.
> "Selene…"
She knelt and gently placed a hand on her sister-in-law's shaking shoulder.
The moment her palm touched Lysandra's skin, a pulse thudded against her fingertips.
A heartbeat.
Not Lysandra's own.
Faint. Small. New.
Seraphine gasped, snatching her hand back. Her golden eyes widened, swirling with realization.
> "You're pregnant."
The room stilled like time itself had stopped.
Lysandra looked up, confusion clouding her eyes.
> "What…?"
Alaric stepped forward, brows drawn together. His voice was rough, barely above a whisper.
> "Lysandra… are you?"
Carlos, who had stood silently at the edge of the room, took one step forward, sensing something too.
Lysandra staggered to her feet, stumbling backward.
> "No," she murmured. "No… no, it cannot be."
Her voice was frantic, shaking, her hands clutching at her abdomen like it betrayed her.
> "I… I… that night—"
She choked on her words.
> "It can't be..."
But Seraphine was already looking at her, understanding dawning. Alaric stared at her not in anger, but in worry. Carlos's eyes darted from one face to another, as he instinctively moved closer to his sister.
Then, Lysandra's knees gave way.
Carlos caught her just before she hit the floor.
> "She's fainted!"
He gently scooped her into his arms with a fluid motion only an elite could perform.
> "I'll take her to the infirmary," he said quickly, glancing at Alaric and Seraphine.
Seraphine gave a small nod, still shocked.
Alaric didn't speak—his eyes never left Lysandra's unconscious form.
The air in the sanctuary was thick with destiny.
The past had returned.
The present had been altered.
And the future… was now growing inside Lysandra's womb.