Gavriel’s jaw tightened. His grip on Althea’s waist didn’t loosen, but his eyes stayed locked on Zander’s projection. The silence stretched until even the steady glow of the shard seed to dim.
Finally, Gavriel exhaled slowly. “Fine,” he said. His voice was calm, but it carried the weight of a decision he didn’t want to make. “We’ll co.”
Uriel’s eyes widened. “Your Majesty—”
“It’s not up for debate,” Gavriel curtly added without looking back. “If my mate is involved, then I go. And if I go, they all go.”
Zander raised his brows in amusent. “All? Including the princess of Terravane?” He glanced toward Candice.
Candice rolled her eyes with a sharp huff. “If I don’t go with them, they’ll probably say sothing stupid without . Besides, I should co. I have a feeling whatever it is you want... it involves the Velmora continent.”
Zander’s eyebrow lifted, his smirk stretching into sothing amused and almost predatory. “Aren’t you interesting. I’ve heard Terravane has a stubborn, unorthodox princess. Seems it wasn’t just a rumor.”
Candice folded her arms, utterly unfazed. “I’ll take that as a complint. And there’s no way I’m not going.”
Althea watched all of this quietly. She wasn’t afraid. What she felt was anticipation — a sharp, restless pull in her chest. Whatever Zander wanted to discuss with Gavriel, she could sense it was important.
But more than that, she knew deep down that the answers she’d been searching for, her inexplicable connection with Zander, and her mother’s origins.
Zander shrugged. “Fine. All of you, then. But once the portal opens, don’t hesitate. Step through imdiately. My world won’t hold a stable link for long.”
The Luminis Shard pulsed in response, its glow brightening until the entire chamber reflected its silver light.
A crackling sound filled the air, like tal bending, like wind tearing through sothing unseen, and then a thin line of white light split open above the shard. It widened into a circular doorway, swirling with shimring blue-white energy. The portal humd with a faint vibration that made the floor beneath them tremble.
“This is it,” Zander’s voice echoed from the glowing portal. “Enter. I’ll pull you through safely.”
Gavriel didn’t hesitate. He stood with Althea still on his lap for a mont, then gently set her down on her feet. His hands remained at her waist as he leaned closer.
“Stay by ,” he murmured. Althea nodded, her fingers curling around his hand.
Gavriel stepped forward first, bringing Althea with him. The light swallowed them whole.
Then Candice followed right after with a firm stride. Osman and Uriel exchanged a quick look, silently agreeing to stay alert, then stepped through as well.
Within seconds, the portal closed behind them with a soft crack, as if sealing shut the last breath of their world.
The mont they stepped through the portal, a rush of cool air brushed past them. The world on the other side was nothing like the Moon Realm. The ground was soft with moss, the air slled fresh, and towering ancient trees stretched endlessly above them. Sunlight filtered through the leaves in soft beams, making the forest glow with a quiet, untouched beauty.
Althea held on to Gavriel’s arm as they looked around. Everything was so still the only sound was the rustle of leaves and their own breathing.
“This place...” Candice exhaled in awe, her eyes scanning the figures slowly erging between the trees. “These people... they’re from Velmora.”
The n watching them were dressed in long, silver-lined garnts, their armor a mix of old Velmoran craft and enchanted materials. Their hairstyles, their symbols, the stones embedded in their clothing — unmistakably Velmoran.
But one symbol stood out most: the crest of the House of Aetherion.
Even Osman stiffened.
Zander finally appeared, walking toward them with his hands casually tucked in his pockets. Behind him were more people — young, old, warriors, healers, all carrying the sa crest.
Candice’s eyes widened. “The Ivanov Clan? They vanished centuries ago. How—”
“We didn’t vanish.” Zander shrugged. “Many of us were murdered. But so... hid. Most of Aetherion helped us and they stayed loyal to the Ivanov Clan.”
Althea’s breath caught. Zander gestured around them lazily. “These are the ones who remained. The followers who refused to abandon the clan even after we were falsely accused of black magic.”
He looked at Candice. “Your presence is tolerated here only because my ntor told that among the noble houses, Russo Clan of House Terravane were the only nas he trusted. So don’t feel too special.”
Candice snorted softly. “Trust , I don’t.”
Gavriel kept Althea slightly behind him, his hand steady on her waist. “So this is where you live?”
Zander nodded. “This forest is a barrier itself. Hidden, untouched, and impossible to find unless you’re ant to enter.”
Althea took a small step forward, her voice quiet but steady when she directly asked, “Zander... how are we related?”
His face softened for the first ti. “I don’t know,” he admitted honestly. “My ntor was the only one who had the answers. But he left when I was fifteen... and never returned.”
Althea frowned. “He left you alone?”
Zander’s jaw tightened slightly. “He said he had to settle sothing and that one day, when I t ‘the woman holding the key,’ everything would make sense.”
Althea instinctively touched the small golden key hanging from her necklace. Zander’s gaze followed her hand, then he pointed at it.
“That key,” he said quietly. “The one you’ve had your whole life... it opens a box he left for .”
Althea blinked. “A box?”
Zander nodded. “Amon told the box holds the truth about my past... about the Ivanovs... and about the woman who carries that key.” His eyes t hers. “He said fate would decide if the two of us were bound to et.”
The air grew still.
Gavriel’s grip on her tightened, his aura flaring protectively.
Uriel whispered to Osman, “This is getting complicated...”
Candice folded her arms. “So you brought her here because you believe she’s the one your ntor ant?”
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