As dawn broke, Maika returned to the old mirror—the one that had once whispered truths she wasn't ready to hear.
She didn't need to ask who she was anymore.
She knew.
She was Aster. Born human. Raised among witches and vampires. Wife to a Lycan Alpha. Mother to a child born of three bloodlines—one destined to change everything.
And she would reclaim what was hers.
She needed to go to the witches' den.
---
A knock at the chamber door stirred Queen Vantessa from her thoughts. A messenger witch stepped inside and bowed low.
"My Queen… Maika is here. She requests an audience."
Vantessa's sharp eyes narrowed, then she gave a nod. "Bring her in."
Moments later, Maika entered the chamber. Her cloak hung in tattered folds, soaked from the storm outside. Her eyes were hollow, stormy. Shadows clung to her like an old grief refusing to let go.
She bowed low, then lifted her chin. "I need your help," she said, voice steady but strained. "I feel like I'm… unraveling. Or becoming someone else."
Salem stepped forward, gaze sweeping over her. The anklet was gone. Unrestrained magic surged beneath Maika's skin, pulsing like a tide on the verge of breaking.
"You've already begun," Salem said softly.
Maika frowned. "Begun what?"
Vantessa motioned toward the moonstone circle. "Come. Sit."
Maika sank to the floor beside the sacred table, its white glow reflecting in her trembling hands. Salem knelt beside her.
"Do you remember your name as Aster?" she asked.
The name struck like a distant bell. Maika's brow furrowed. "Yes... but it feels like something I should know. Like a dream slipping away when I wake."
Salem took her hand, warm and grounding. "Would you let me help you remember?"
After a breath of hesitation, Maika nodded.
Salem pressed her fingers to Maika's temple and whispered an incantation. Magic wove through the air—soft, probing, ancient. Images flickered behind Maika's eyes: burning forests, a woman's laughter, the cry of an infant, and then—a scream so raw it split the silence.
Maika gasped and pulled back, heart pounding. "Its really Caveen?"
Salem's voice was gentle, but resolute." Yes protected by Carl."
The chamber fell into silence. Maika's hands trembled in her lap.
"Carl," she whispered. "He's known all along."
Selene stepped closer, sorrow clouding her expression. "And he tried to shield you from it."
Maika rose, fury threading through her sorrow. "Then I must confront him. No more hiding. No more lies."
A sharp knock broke the stillness.
She turned. "Yes?"
The door opened. Nate stood there, soaked from the rain, his cloak clinging to his frame. His face was pale, drawn with urgency.
He bowed quickly. "Princess Maika… I bring grave news."
Her chest tightened. "What happened?"
Nate hesitated, then stepped forward. "It's Caveen. He's gone. The Council took him."
The world around her slowed.
Maika's vision blurred. "What… did you say?"
"They breached Carl's estate 1 week ago," Nate explained. "Used ancient magic to bypass the wards. Caveen was taken while he slept. Carl fought, but they were prepared."
Maika staggered back, gripping the edge of the fireplace for balance. "No. That can't be. He was protected. Hidden—"
"They found him," Nate said softly. "Carl is already scouring the territory, but the Council… they planned this."
Maika's mind reeled. Guilt stabbed through her like a dagger. If I had removed the anklet sooner. If I had stayed. If I had remembered faster…
"I should've been there," she said through gritted teeth. "I should've protected him."
"This is not your fault," Vantessa said gently. "This was no accident. The Council knew exactly what they were doing. And who they were coming for."
Maika turned to the window, her reflection blurred by rain. Her fingers dug into the sill, knuckles white.
"They took my son," she whispered, her voice laced with a deadly calm. "They'll regret it."
Vantessa watched her, silent. The quiet, composed Maika she had once known was gone. What stood before her now was a storm in flesh—vengeful, awakened, unafraid.
Maika turned to Nate, eyes glowing a deep, crimson red.
"Take me to Carl," she said. "We end this. Together."
As she made to leave, Salem called after her, "Be careful, Maika. You're more than vampire. You're Carellos. That blood carries power—and danger. They will come for you."
Maika paused at the threshold. Her eyes darkened, and her fangs flashed.
"Let them."
Then she vanished into the mist, the fire of her awakening finally unleashed.