Iliya woke before dawn, tugging at the journal closest to her and picking up where she left off last night.

Noah snored softly, collapsed on Sorein's desk with an arm under his forehead. He'd spent the night first analyzing the research on the Queen's mysterious illness, before trying to convince her not to read the books until they returned home.

It was only when he'd accidentally dosed off that she picked up the thick leather and started thumbing through the pages again.

Damien's handwriting was hard to decipher, but she managed to make out the strange curves in his vowels with effort.

"You will need to understand how this world came to be if you are to develop the necessary skills you'll need to overcome Ionsia," he wrote. "We do not know how Aida and Taranis or Peruk and Kolaida came to be, only that their bloodlines run through the original houses. There are five minor gods – their children – and you, Iliya, possess the blood of four."

Iliya's mouth dried at the thought.

Four deities blood coursing through her veins.

"My father, Heithos, god of the Underworld, partnered with Nimian, goddess of the Living. Their union created the Fae, a race of true immortals with internal magic."

Her teeth ached as they gnashed together, forcing her to stay silent.

"Mellinus, the god of justice and balance, mated with the goddess Karnavere, the goddess of death. As they lived and loved, they bore the Therian species. Elemental shapeshifters with great magical wells within them, soon named the Peacekeepers. Every war was neutralized with their aid."

A small sense of pride soothed her as she clung to those pieces of herself. She would scrub herself clean of the Fae blood if only she could.

Iliya froze as Noah stirred, adjusting himself on the flat surface.

He didn't wake.

"Approve or no, you are likely to be the most powerful being of your time."

She didn't want it.

Her head was mechanically shaking, her body begging her to chuck the journal into the nearest ravine and walk away forever.

Something permanent teetered inside her chest, threatening to break.

"I predict it is the reason you still survive and I suggest you do what you must to control your impulses. As your Ionsia hungers, so will you too lose control."

Iliya flinched.

Was Damien telling her to take her rings off?

To absorb what she could?

"Occasionally you will need to feed the curse within you, it is only natural. Be mindful, only do so when you deem it necessary and beneficial to those around you. It will take the edge off of your erratic thoughts."

Nervous sweat coated her back now, her body tight with anxiety. He was giving her permission, urging her to allow mana inside her body.

"Remember, your impulses are not always your own. Mana is a living source of power, it will hunt just as you do, for survival and more. Remain in control, but remember you are not your urges."

She slammed the book shut.

Too much.

This was too much with no time to process.

Noah was right.

Her sudden movement snapped him from his deep sleep, sending him careening back in his chair.

"What's wrong?"

Were she not panicking, Iliya might've laughed at his tousled hair and wide eyes. As it was, she only smiled grimly and shook her head.

There was no reason to concern him.

"Nothing, I'm sorry."

Noah leaned back, dragging a hand through his blond hair and scratching. "Well, I suppose I'll head to my room and change. You should too."

Iliya nodded absently, still blinking the words out of her head.

"The City is cold," he said softly, rising from his chair. "Make sure to dress warmly."

Rising from the bed, she glanced down at her rumpled overshirt and sighed. "You're right. I'll see you soon."

Noah nodded and left, shutting the door behind him.

Even as Iliya found her skin tight sparring suit and shoved her arms and legs through the black fabric, she couldn't forget those life altering words. The power dwelling within her.

She zipped up the back, using a tether of Mana to pull the metal up higher, and pulled on a pair of cotton lined militia pants. Externally, they offered the pockets and sheathes she'd grown accustomed to, with internal warmth sewn in.

She would be fine.

She needed to be fine.

So Iliya yanked on her woolen cloak and prepared to face the City of the Lost.

~ 🔮 ~

Ezre was pacing in front of the arches, waiting for everyone to assemble.

He was anxious and impatient, his arms crossed as if he were waiting to enter the frontlines. Yet all she could see when she looked at him was a liar.

Her family had hidden everything from her.

When Noah rejoined her, Sorein was at his side.

She tried to mask the panic and sadness written on her face, but she knew it was obvious.

Sorein had looked at her for all of a second before opening his mouth.

"We're going in now," Noah interrupted immediately, placing himself between them.

Sorein had already offered another long winded explanation of the City. Do not stay in if you're experiencing any dizziness, burn out, or hallucinations. Never speak with the souls inside, especially if they appear to you as family.

She'd recited those words to herself a few times now.

Iliya breathed a sigh of relief as they continued through the arches. Ezre was waiting expectantly for Sorein to open the barrier.

She watched the Prince step forward and lift his hand to the archway, indigo static sparkling in response to his aura and giving way to an even more vibrant world.

Her eyes went wide as they entered the city. Crystalline posts illuminated the walkways of stone, guiding visitors down three very distinct paths. The first led into a small town and the last navigated them down into the Aphyre Pits.

The center caught her eye though, an enchanting path that meandered towards a large ivory Temple.

Heithos Temple.

The father of Damien, Andrin, and Alette.

"You're staring," Sorein teased from behind her.

Iliya was grateful his spirits had returned after a night's rest.

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked. "It's stunning."

The large white building was wrapped in engravings and sculptures that sent tingles down Iliya's spine. Four figures carved into Azurian Ivory stood around the large opening.

They continued walking until they were sheltered beneath the landing.

One giant square entrance gave way to a hallway with several channels. The floors appeared rough but she was surprised to find her heels echoing across a polished surface. The walls were deceptively rugged as well, smooth to the touch even though they looked carved by the earth themself.

"We should be looking for the room where rituals are performed," Nixian announced. His voice was soft as if he worried about disturbing something. He looked at Sorein. "Do you know where the Sanctuary is here?"

Iliya knew he meant Heithos prayer hall, despite so few using the Temple.

She steeled herself, trying not to laugh at Sorein's eye roll. Noah was not so considerate, attempting to cover his laughter with a cough.

"Of course," Sorein answered Nixian, shooting a glare at Noah. "Follow me."

After turning left down one of the larger corridor, they shadowed the Prince down a deep staircase.

She counted four flights of steps, casting an anxious glance behind them as they found another long corridor. After passing two more rooms, Iliya was certain this Temple was much deeper than Aida's.

Finally, Sorein led them into a room that reminded her of the Chiori's Temple. With plush floors and a wide open space full of seating, she felt more at home here than she had in the last two days.

"This is the Sanctuary," Sorein said, gesturing to the podium at the front. "I'm not certain what you're looking for but it would be here."

She wasn't either.

Only knowing how important it had been to her grandfather that they came to investigate immediately.

Ezre and Nixian were the first to enter, quickly making their way to the dias in the back. She watched as they inspected the quartz pyre, smoke whirling in the center.

"They say the Temple Pyre's connect beneath the ground," Ezre explained quietly. "Each crystal branches from the Aphyre."

Iliya loved that theory. She wanted to dig into the planet herself as a young girl, but her mother always said no matter how hard she tried, she would never reach the center.

She walked into the room, mindlessly observing the beautiful paintings and architecture while the others looked for more information. No one had bothered to tell her what they were looking for.

Instead, she looked for anything that might tell her more about Toskapel or Damien.

As she brushed her fingers over the crystal's surface, golden light skittered down into the floor. A nagging suspicion crept into her gut.

Iliya looked up and found Sorein standing a few feet behind her. "Is there another chamber beneath this one?" she murmured.

He nodded.

"How do we get down there?"

"No one's been down there in decades," Sorein replied, brows furrowing. "Why?"

Iliya tapped the quartz with her finger, another strike of gold rippling from her body.

It, too, disappeared into the floor.

Curious, Sorein pressed his palm to the smoky surface and watched as violet light poured inside. He yanked his hand back, shaking it off.

"Something isn't right..." he said.

"There's another room attached to this one," Nixian called from the left. "Do you mind if you take a look?"

Sorein shook his head. "No, let's split up. Iliya and I are going to check the chamber beneath this one."

Nixian agreed, disappearing with Elliott into the next room. Noah and Ezre disappeared into the hallway, investigating any other rooms they might have missed.

An uneasy feeling washed over her.

Iliya found a narrow stairwell in the back of the room that spiraled downward. Gripping the silver railing, she followed it into a tiny antechamber leading to one large door.

Without waiting for Sorein, she pushed into darkness. Ice swallowed her core. The large pyre of quartz plunging beneath the floor was pulsing with Mana, magic lashing out in different directions.

Scorch marks covered the walls, strikes of static and fire shooting straight for them.

Iliya shoved them out of the way, dodging the blow.

"What is this?" she panted, shocked.

Sorein blinked, eyes wide. "A portal..."

Her instincts kicked in as another spear of electricity shot at them. Iliya quickly pushed Sorein forward and threw herself a few paces back.

"It can't be..." he whispered, sadness filling his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Iliya asked.

Sorein's mouth parted to speak, but his attention was lost on the gaping tear in reality.

"Sorein, what's wrong?"

Still, he didn't reply.

Remembering the books in her pack and Damien's warning, her breathing slowed and she braced herself. He had told her to feed the curse.

To use it for the benefit of others.

If Iliya could consume the barriers in Nioreir, she might possess the ability to close the portal.

She only had a moment. Iliya ripped the rings and bracelet off her fingers and wrist, swirls of mana now forming a whirlwind of energy around her arm.

"Iliya–"

"I need you to trust me," she said calmly.

"Don't do what I think you're going to do—"

"Sorein," Iliya tried again, firmer this time. "Trust me."

Lunging forward, Iliya shielded a blast of Mana with her own and ran. If she could close the portal, she could end this. No one else would get hurt.

Had Ezre known?

Was this why he insisted she come?

"Iliya, stop!" Sorein yelled. "No!"

But it was too late.

Iliya's palm punched through the portal and the world shattered around them.