The castle library was an ancient thing, its walls lined with towering shelves and books that smelled of dust, ink, and time itself. Olivia had never liked libraries before. They reminded her too much of exams and expectations. But here, this place felt sacred. As if the very air shimmered with stories not yet told.
Elara led her into a quiet section far in the back, behind a heavy velvet curtain that muffled sound. The room beyond was lit by floating candles and an old stained-glass window that cast coloured light across the stone floor.
"Why are we here?" Olivia asked, her fingers brushing the spine of a leather-bound tome.
"To show you the truth," Elara replied, pulling a book from the top shelf with ease. She handed it over, her expression unreadable. "Page 117."
Olivia opened it. The language was old, the lettering ornate. But the image that stared up at her made her breath catch. A woman with glowing eyes and fire curling from her fingertips, standing in the centre of a scorched battlefield.
"That's not me," Olivia whispered.
"No," Elara said. "That's her."
"Seraphina?"
Elara nodded. "She was once like you. Young, powerful, afraid. But she made the wrong choices. Choices driven by love, obsession… revenge."
Olivia's throat tightened. "What happened to her?"
"She fell," Elara said simply. "She allowed the fire to consume not just her enemies—but her soul."
Olivia closed the book. "Is that why you brought me here? To scare me?"
"No." Elara stepped closer. "To warn you. The same power lives in you. The same hunger. You must understand it, or it will control you the way it controlled her."
"I don't want to be like her."
"Then don't be."
There was silence between them for a moment. Then Olivia asked, "What happened to the man she loved?"
Elara looked away. "He betrayed her. Or at least… she thought he did."
"She killed him?"
"No. Worse. She cursed him to live forever—without her."
Olivia swallowed. "That's cruel."
"That's pain," Elara said softly. "Unchecked, it turns love into something poisonous."
The words echoed in Olivia's mind long after Elara had left her alone. She stared at the stained-glass window, watching the light shift as the sun moved. The woman in the book haunted her. Beautiful, powerful, broken. She wondered—how many women in history had been twisted by love?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft creak of the door.
She turned. "Aiden."
He stepped inside, wearing his usual hoodie and that wary look he always got when he knew she wasn't going to like what he had to say.
"You weren't in training," he said, shutting the door behind him.
"I was with Elara," she replied. "Learning about Seraphina."
Aiden raised a brow. "And?"
"She was like me."
"No one's like you," he said immediately, voice low. "Not even her."
Olivia tried to smile, but it faltered. "She was in love. She had all this power. And it destroyed her."
"You're not going to be destroyed," he said firmly, stepping closer. "You're stronger than her."
"You don't know that."
"I do," he insisted. "Because you still care. You still question. That's what makes you different."
She looked at him then, really looked. His eyes were full of something she wasn't ready to name—devotion, maybe. Fear. Love.
"Aiden…" she began, but the words tangled on her tongue.
He stepped close enough to touch her, but didn't. "I know everything's changing. And I know I'm not the warrior or the fire prince or whatever Kael is. But I'm here. I've always been here."
"I know."
Their eyes locked.
And for a moment, it felt like the world paused.
"I never asked for this," Olivia said quietly.
"Neither did I," Aiden replied, "but I'd do it all again—for you."
It was stupid, maybe. Reckless. But when Olivia leaned in and kissed him, it didn't feel like a mistake. His hands came up to cradle her face, pulling her into him like he'd been waiting forever. The kiss was soft at first, uncertain—but then deeper, filled with heat that had nothing to do with fire.
When they broke apart, their foreheads pressed together, Olivia whispered, "This changes things."
"Maybe," he replied. "But maybe it's the only thing that makes sense right now."
Before she could respond, the ground shook beneath them. A rumble rolled through the walls like thunder.
"What was that?" she gasped.
Aiden looked toward the door. "Trouble."
They burst out of the library and raced down the corridor, joining Kael and Elara near the east tower. A deep crack had split the wall, and dark smoke billowed from the trees beyond the castle walls.
"She's here," Kael said grimly. "Seraphina sent her Shades."
Aiden's hand slipped into Olivia's. "What's a Shade?"
"Twisted spirits," Kael growled. "They serve her. And they don't stop until they taste blood."
Olivia's fingers tightened around Aiden's. "Then we stop them."
Kael looked at her. "You're not ready."
She met his gaze. "Ready or not, I'm done hiding."
Kael hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Then let's finish this."