********Author's pov
The gates of the demon castle stood open.
Black stone towers pierced the crimson sky, and countless torches burned with dark blue flames along the fortress walls. The air was thick with demonic energy, heavy enough to suffocate ordinary humans.
Ellis and Vaelthor stepped through the entrance without slowing down.
The moment they crossed the threshold, hundreds of demon guards appeared from every direction.
Steel rang.
Armor shifted.
Bloodthirsty eyes locked onto the two intruders.
A woman emerged from the crowd.
She wore a crimson gown embroidered with black flames, and a jeweled crown rested upon her silver hair. Her beauty was elegant, but the smile on her lips carried nothing but cruelty.
Seraphine.
Kael's mother.
She looked at Ellis and Vaelthor as though they were insects that had wandered into her palace.
"So," she said with a cold smile, "the Witch Queen has finally arrived."
Ellis didn't respond.
Vaelthor rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Seraphine's smile widened.
"How disappointing."
She looked at the army surrounding them.
"Kill them both."
The order echoed through the castle.
The demon guards charged simultaneously.
A deafening roar shook the courtyard.
Vaelthor moved first.
His sword left its sheath in a streak of black light.
Slash!
The first demon's body fell before it could even react.
He stepped forward without hesitation, his blade cutting through armor with terrifying precision.
Another demon lunged toward him.
Vaelthor caught the weapon with one hand, destroyed it effortlessly, and struck back.
The courtyard erupted into chaos.
Ellis raised both hands.
Ancient runes bloomed beneath her feet.
"Moonbind."
Silver chains burst from the ground.
They wrapped around dozens of demon guards at once, restricting their movements and crushing their weapons.
Ellis's silver eyes glowed.
"Shatter."
The chains exploded.
The demons were thrown backward by the force of the spell.
More guards rushed forward.
They came endlessly.
Like a wave of darkness.
Seraphine watched from the castle steps, completely calm.
"Is this all the Witch Queen can do?"
Ellis did not answer.
Instead, she raised her hand.
A massive magic circle spread across the battlefield.
Moonlight descended from the crimson sky.
The silver light struck the demon guards with overwhelming force.
Explosions shook the castle walls.
The ground trembled.
Vaelthor fought beside her like a storm given human form.
His sword moved faster than the eyes could follow.
Every strike forced the demons back.
Every step brought another enemy down.
The war had begun.
**************
Far away, in the human realm.
Rain fell softly outside a hospital.
The usually busy corridors were quiet.
Inside the maternity ward, a newborn baby slept peacefully in a small cradle.
The infant's tiny hands moved slightly beneath the blanket.
Standing outside the ward was a man.
Zareth.
His eyes remained fixed on the baby.
For a long time, he said nothing.
Then, strangely, warmth appeared in his expression.
A softness that almost seemed impossible for someone like him.
He placed his hand against the glass.
A faint smile appeared.
"You're finally back."
His voice was barely a whisper.
The baby continued sleeping, unaware of the countless secrets surrounding its existence.
Zareth looked at the child for a few more seconds.
Then he turned away.
***********
Harper's POV
Inside my mind.
The fusion was still continuing.
And it was becoming harder.
My body felt like it was being torn apart from the inside.
Seraphina's power flowed through one side of me.
Ravenna's power flowed through the other.
Light and darkness fought endlessly.
I was the only thing keeping them together.
My breathing became heavier.
My strength was fading.
But I refused to stop.
I couldn't stop.
Not now.
Not when everyone was counting on me.
Then suddenly—
My ear twitched.
A sound reached me.
Faint.
Distant.
But clear enough.
The sound of swords clashing.
My eyes widened.
Spells.
Explosions.
A battlefield.
Ellis.
She was here.
I tried to focus more.
The sounds became clearer.
I could hear the demon guards.
I could hear the destruction.
I could hear magic being released.
Then I remembered.
Natalie.
I needed to know where she was.
I pushed my consciousness further.
I searched through the noise.
Then—
A scream.
My body froze.
I recognized that voice.
"Natalie…"
I tried to listen harder.
But before I could understand anything, Ravenna's voice interrupted me.
"Focus."
I ignored her.
"I need to know where she is."
"You will lose control if you continue."
I clenched my teeth.
Then another voice reached me.
Seraphine.
Kael's mother.
"Take it."
My heart tightened.
Take what?
I tried desperately to hear more.
But the connection became unstable.
"Take it and—"
The voice disappeared.
Silence.
I could no longer hear anything.
Frustration overwhelmed me.
I didn't know what Seraphine meant.
I didn't know what she wanted Natalie to take.
I didn't know if Natalie was safe.
"Harper."
Ravenna's voice became colder.
"Focus on the spell."
I closed my eyes.
I hated that she was right.
But if I failed now, everything would be over.
I trusted Ellis.
She would find Natalie.
She had to.
Taking a deep breath, I continued the fusion.
Light and darkness surged through me again.
***********Author's pov
Seraphine walked through the underground corridor beneath the demon castle.
A victorious smile rested on her face.
Everything was going according to plan.
Ellis had arrived exactly as she expected.
Natalie would soon bring what she needed.
And once everything was complete—
She opened the door to her chamber.
Then stopped.
The smile disappeared.
Something was wrong.
The atmosphere inside the room had changed.
The air felt heavier.
Colder.
Someone was there.
Standing before the window was a figure.
A person she had completely forgotten about.
The pressure coming from them made her body freeze.
Impossible.
Her breathing became uneven.
Slowly, the figure turned around.
Seraphine's face drained of color.
Her lips trembled.
She stepped backward.
"Y-your…"
The words refused to leave her mouth.
She forced herself to speak.
"Your… your greatness."
The figure stared at her silently.
The door behind her closed slowly.
And darkness swallowed the room.