Lucien.
The name struck Kai like ice down his spine.
The moment Lyra spoke it, memories stirred—fractured and fragmented—but enough to make his stomach twist.
A boy in silver armor.
A fire-lit hall.
A blade pressed to Elenya's throat.
A whisper: Forgive me.
Kai didn't realize his fists had clenched until Lyra touched his arm gently.
"He sees us," she said, voice calm despite the tremble in her fingers.
Below, Lucien stood motionless in the shadows of the garden. Golden eyes gleaming, head tilted slightly to the side, like a predator curious about its prey. Or an old friend pretending they weren't the reason your world had burned.
Then—he lifted a hand.
A wave.
Mocking. Slow.
And just like that, he vanished into the trees.
Kai lunged for the stairs, but Lyra grabbed his wrist.
"No!"
"He's right there—!"
"He wants you to chase him," she said sharply. "It's a trap."
Kai's breath heaved in his chest. Every part of him screamed to run after Lucien, to demand answers—or revenge—but he didn't move. Not when Lyra looked at him like that. Like she knew what would happen if he left her side.
"He shouldn't be here," she said. "Not this early."
Kai swallowed hard. "What do you mean?"
"In the past, Lucien didn't awaken until near the end. After he'd already poisoned the High Circle. After the kingdom began to fall. But now he's here. Awake. Watching us."
Kai exhaled slowly, forcing himself to sit back down. "Then this really is different."
Lyra nodded. "The timeline is changing."
"And if he remembers everything, like you do—"
"Then we're already in danger."
Lucien didn't go far.
He watched from the rooftop of a neighboring house, crouched low like a gargoyle. The wind tousled his dark hair, and his golden eyes shimmered with quiet amusement.
They saw me. Good.
He hadn't expected Lyra to remember so clearly. The fire in her eyes, even through a window—it hadn't dulled with age or reincarnation.
And Kai…
Lucien's lips curled in a wry smile.
Still reckless. Still loyal. Still stupid.
He lay back against the slanted rooftop, staring up at the moon.
The mark on his palm burned faintly—the same crescent as theirs, but inverted. Twisted. Corrupted.
He was part of the same cycle, after all.
But he hadn't come back for redemption.
Lucien had come back to finish what he started.
The next morning at school, the atmosphere felt… strained.
Kai felt it in the air the moment he walked through the gates. Students buzzed with normal chatter—tests, games, rumors—but underneath, something else pulsed.
An invisible current.
Lyra stood near the front entrance, leaning against the brick wall, arms crossed. Her posture was casual, but her eyes were alert.
"He's here," she said as Kai approached.
He didn't ask how she knew. He felt it too. Like the air had dropped a few degrees.
"Lucien?" Kai asked quietly.
She nodded. "He enrolled this morning. Transferred from an elite prep academy overseas."
Kai's jaw clenched. "Of course he did."
Just then, the crowd parted. And there he was—walking down the path like a prince returning from exile.
Lucien.
Perfect uniform. Loosened tie. Smile like a secret.
He moved through the crowd like he owned the place, and the students responded to him instinctively—eyes drawn, whispers rising.
Some people were born to attract attention.
Others were reborn for it.
Lucien's gaze flicked toward them. Stopped. Locked eyes with Kai.
And then he smiled.
Not cruel. Not fake.
But familiar.
Like he still remembered the day they'd all sworn loyalty beneath a blood moon.
Lyra stiffened beside Kai. "We don't engage. Not yet."
But Kai was already stepping forward.
"Kai—!"
"I just want to hear his voice," he said. "That's all."
Lucien met him halfway across the courtyard. No hesitation. No fear.
"Nice to see you again," Lucien said smoothly, as though they were old friends.
Kai stopped a foot away, eyes narrowed.
"You betrayed us."
Lucien didn't flinch. "You say that like it wasn't necessary."
"You murdered half the Circle."
"They were already dead. They just didn't know it yet."
"You tried to kill her."
Lucien's smile faded. His expression grew still.
"I did kill her," he said softly. "And you. And myself."
Kai's breath caught. The words were like stones dropped in still water.
"I remember everything, Kai."
Lucien leaned in slightly, his voice low.
"But this time, I came back first."
Lyra watched from a distance, her heart hammering.
Kai stood tall, but she could see the tension in his shoulders. He was trying not to shake.
Lucien's presence rippled through the crowd like a quiet explosion. No one knew who he really was, but they felt something strange about him. Some girls giggled. Some boys eyed him warily. Teachers murmured behind folders.
But none of them knew the truth.
Only Lyra.
Only Kai.
And Lucien.
Later, in history class, Lucien was assigned the seat behind Kai.
Of course he was.
He passed a note halfway through the lecture—folded perfectly, tucked against Kai's elbow.
Kai waited until the teacher turned to the board before opening it.
There's a storm coming.
We're not the only ones awake.
You need me alive for what's next.
Kai stared at the words.
Then, without turning, he scribbled beneath them.
Give me one reason to trust you.
He passed it back.
Lucien's answer came quickly.
Because I remember who the real enemy is.
And it isn't me.
When the final bell rang, Kai and Lyra met at their usual spot behind the gym.
He handed her the note.
She read it twice. Then a third time. Then crushed it in her hand.
"He's lying."
"Probably," Kai agreed. "But…"
"But?"
Kai hesitated. "He's right about one thing. The Circle wasn't the only threat."
Lyra's silence was heavy.
"I remember shadows," Kai said slowly. "From before the fall. Things that shouldn't exist. Whispers under the palace. Something that fed off memory. Off magic."
Lyra nodded. "I've seen them in my dreams. Wraiths. They don't die with us. They wait. And if Lucien's mark is inverted…"
"Then he might be their vessel."
"Or their bait," she said grimly. "Either way, we're running out of time."
Kai looked up at the darkening sky.
And somewhere above them, a crescent moon began to rise.