The battlefield was a maelstrom of chaos. Ash knelt beside the Prince’s still body, her hands trembling as they hovered over the wound. His blood stained her dress, pooling beneath him, and her heart shattered with every shallow breath he struggled to take.

“Stay with me,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Please… you can’t leave me. Not like this.”

Around her, the fighting seemed to blur into the background, the clash of swords and the cries of angels and demons fading as her world narrowed to the Prince lying before her. His eyes, once so full of warmth and fire, were dim, his breaths weakening with every second.

“No,” Ash sobbed, tears streaming down her face. Her wings—one pure white, the other now streaked with black—quivered as a strange warmth began to spread through her chest.

A light, faint at first, began to glow beneath her skin. Her tears, dripping onto the Prince’s chest, shimmered like molten gold. She didn’t notice at first, too consumed by grief, but then the glow intensified, enveloping them both.

The Prince’s body jolted, his chest rising with a sudden intake of breath. Ash gasped, her hands flying to his face as his eyes fluttered open, their crimson depths searching hers.

“Ash?” His voice was weak but alive, disbelief coloring his tone.

“You’re okay,” she whispered, relief flooding through her. “You’re alive.”

The light around them faded, but something within Ash had changed. Her body felt different—stronger, heavier. When she looked down at her hands, they were no longer just angelic; her fingertips were tipped with faint claws, and her skin held a subtle iridescence.

Ash reached up, touching her face, then froze as she saw her reflection in the Prince’s now-polished chest armor. One eye was the same radiant blue it had always been, but the other gleamed with a fiery red glow. Her wings—one still feathered and white, the other darkened and leathery—spread wide behind her.

“What… what’s happening to me?” she murmured, staring at her reflection.

The Prince sat up slowly, his hand covering hers. “You’ve become… both. Angel and demon. You’ve transcended what you were.”

Ash’s thoughts raced, her heart pounding. She didn’t have time to process it—not yet. The sound of Heaven’s retreating forces and the groans of Hell’s injured warriors pulled her back to reality.

The King and Queen of Hell appeared, their faces unreadable, though their eyes betrayed a flicker of awe. “You’ve awakened something ancient, child,” the Queen said softly. “The war will shift because of you.”

Ash didn’t respond. Her gaze shifted to the Prince, who was now standing with her support, and then to the battlefield beyond. Her parents, the King and Queen of Heaven, were approaching, their faces pale with shock. Behind them, the wounded guards who had fought for Heaven were watching her, their eyes wide with fear.

Ash stepped forward, her mismatched wings folding slightly as she approached her parents. The injured guards instinctively recoiled, their expressions betraying both awe and terror.

“Ash,” her father began, his voice trembling, “what have you done?”

“What I had to,” Ash replied, her voice steady despite the whirlwind inside her. “You wanted me to follow your path, to become your queen. But I’ve chosen my own path now.”

Her mother’s gaze flicked to her wings, her eyes narrowing. “You’ve corrupted yourself,” she hissed. “You’ve become an abomination.”

“Maybe,” Ash said, her voice growing firmer, “but I’m still your daughter. And I’m done living in your shadow.”

The Queen of Hell let out a low chuckle, her lips curling into a smirk. “Well said, girl.”

The Prince stepped up beside Ash, his hand brushing against hers in silent solidarity. His presence steadied her, reminding her of why she was standing here, transformed and unyielding.

“I’m not going back,” Ash said, her voice ringing with finality. “And if you try to take me, you’ll face the consequences.”

Her parents stared at her, stunned into silence. The guards shifted uncomfortably, their fear of Ash palpable. She stood tall, her wings unfurling to their full span, a vision of power and defiance.

For the first time in her life, Ash felt free.