Two years had passed since the fall of Julian and the sealing of the Soul-Eating Lord. The realm, once torn by fear and darkness, now bloomed like a flower after rain. Humans, elves, phoenixes, and griffins—four races that had once stood apart, or even against each other—now lived in harmony. Trade routes stretched from Valoria's capital to the Silverwood Forest, from the Firepeak Mountains to the Ironspine Cliffs. Markets bustled with merchants selling elven herbs, phoenix-feather trinkets, and griffin-claw weapons. Children laughed as they chased each other through villages, their games unmarred by the shadow of war.
Kael stood atop the highest platform of the Tree of Life, the heart of the elven sanctuary. The morning sun filtered through the silver leaves, casting dappled light over his face. He'd grown taller in two years, his frame broader, his once-scrawny arms now defined by muscle. The merged dragon-phoenix fire in his veins hummed softly, a quiet warmth he'd learned to control completely—no longer the raw, untamed flame that had burst forth during his betrayal, but a steady, balanced power that responded to his every thought.
Below, the Silverwood was alive. Elven warriors practiced archery in a clearing, their arrows glowing with blue magic as they hit targets dead-center. Healers tended to a wounded deer, their hands glowing with natural magic. A group of young elves laughed as they raced through the trees, their pointed ears twitching with excitement.
"Admiring the view, or avoiding training?" a voice said.
Kael turned. Leah stood at the edge of the platform, her silver hair flowing loose in the breeze, a bow slung over her shoulder. She'd changed too—her once-sharp eyes now softer, but still as vigilant as ever. A small scar on her cheek, a souvenir from the battle against Julian's Dark Vanguard, only added to her beauty.
"Both," Kael said, smiling. "I was just thinking how much things have changed."
Leah stepped beside him, her shoulder brushing his. "Two years of peace. It's strange, isn't it? After so much fighting, I almost don't know what to do with myself."
Kael laughed. "Speak for yourself. You've been running the elven scouts ragged. Every week, you're off to the northern borders, checking for threats."
"Someone has to," Leah said, her eyes scanning the horizon. "Peace is fragile. We can't let our guard down."
She pulled a rolled-up parchment from her pocket. "Scout reports are in, by the way. Northern borders: quiet. Western villages: thriving. Eastern coast: fishermen are bringing in record catches. No sign of darkness. No sign of trouble."
Kael nodded, relief washing over him. "Good. I was starting to miss the peace. Lira's been on my case for weeks, saying I'm 'rusty.'"
"Rusty?" Leah raised an eyebrow. "You spent three hours yesterday training with her, launching fireballs at dummy soldiers. You're practically begging for a fight."
Kael shrugged. "Old habits. After two years of constant vigilance, it's hard to relax. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop."
A gust of wind ruffled their hair. A phoenix soared overhead, its feathers glowing gold in the sunlight, letting out a loud cry. It circled the Tree of Life once, then landed gracefully on the platform beside them. In a flash of fire, the phoenix transformed into Lira. Her red hair was tied back in a tight braid, her eyes like embers, her hands still glowing with faint phoenix fire.
"Speak of the devil," Kael muttered.
Lira grinned. "I heard that. And for the record, you are rusty. Your fire was off yesterday—too slow, too unfocused."
Kael rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Lira's grin faded, her expression turning serious. "Merlin sent for us. He's at the Ironspine Cliffs. Says he found something—something from the ancient texts. Something urgent."
Kael's brow furrowed. "What kind of something? Did he say?"
Lira shook her head. "He wouldn't elaborate. Just that it's about the new darkness—the one the prophecy mentioned. He said we need to get there as soon as possible. Gareth is already on his way."
Leah's hand tightened around her bow. "The new darkness? I thought that was just a prophecy—something far in the future."
"Merlin doesn't think so," Lira said. "He sounded… worried. More worried than I've ever heard him."
Kael nodded, his resolve hardening. The fire in his veins flared slightly, a quiet warning. "We need to go. Now."
Leah and Lira nodded. They hurried down the spiral staircase carved into the Tree of Life's trunk, Kael following close behind. At the base of the tree, three griffins waited—massive creatures with the bodies of lions and the wings of eagles. One was silver-feathered, Leah's mount; another was black, Kael's; the third was white, Lira's.
"Ready?" Kael asked, climbing onto his griffin's back.
"Always," Leah said, mounting hers.
Lira nodded, climbing onto her griffin. "Let's move. The Ironspine Cliffs are a day's travel from here if we fly fast."
The griffins spread their wings, letting out loud roars. They launched into the air, soaring above the Silverwood Forest. The trees blurred below, giving way to rolling hills, then the Firepeak Mountains—their peaks covered in snow, smoke curling from the volcano that housed the phoenix sanctuary.
They flew for hours, the wind rushing past their ears. By midday, the Ironspine Cliffs came into view—jagged black rocks rising high into the sky, the griffin sanctuary a cluster of stone nests built into the cliffs' sides.
The griffins landed gracefully on a large platform at the center of the sanctuary. Kael, Leah, and Lira climbed down, their boots crunching on stone. Merlin stood nearby, leaning on his staff, a tattered map in his hands. His hair was whiter than it had been two years ago, his face lined with more wrinkles, but his eyes were sharp—full of worry and urgency. Gareth, in his humanoid form, stood beside him. He was taller now, his white hair longer, his golden eyes dark with concern.
"Thank the stars you're here," Merlin said, turning to face them.
"What's going on?" Kael asked, stepping forward. "What did you find?"
Merlin held up the map, unrolling it. It was ancient, the paper yellowed and brittle, the ink faded. "I've been studying the ancient texts—about the new darkness, the one older than the Soul-Eating Lord. For months, I've been digging through archives in Valoria's capital, in the Silverwood, in the Firepeak Mountains. Yesterday, I found this."
He pointed to a small mark on the map, deep in the Shadowlands. "This is the Forgotten Crypts. Hidden beneath the Shadowlands, beneath layers of rock and dark magic. According to the texts, the crypts hold a relic—the Shadowstone. A weapon of the ancient darkness. It's said to be able to break any seal, to amplify dark magic a hundredfold."
Leah's eyes widened. "If the Shadowstone falls into the wrong hands…."
"The realm will be destroyed," Merlin finished. "The ancient darkness will rise, and nothing we did two years ago will matter. The Soul-Eating Lord was a child compared to this."
Gareth stepped forward. "Our scouts spotted them three days ago. A group of cultists, heading toward the Forgotten Crypts. They call themselves the Shadow Coven—followers of the ancient darkness. They're armed with dark magic, and they're moving fast. They'll reach the crypts in three days if we don't stop them."
Kael's jaw tightened. The merged fire in his veins roared to life, a wave of heat washing over him. "Why now? Why are they emerging after all these years?"
"Because the prophecy says so," Merlin said. "The ancient darkness waits for the right moment—when the realm is at peace, when we least expect it. When the Emberborn's light is brightest, to snuff it out."
Lira's hands glowed with phoenix fire. "We need to stop them. The four bloodlines—united again. We can't let the Shadow Coven get their hands on the Shadowstone."
Merlin nodded. "The Forgotten Crypts are three days' travel from here. Through the Shadowlands—now more dangerous than ever. The cultists have corrupted the monsters there, turned them into their servants. And the Shadowlands' magic will try to break us—twist our minds, make us turn on each other."
Kael looked at his friends—Leah, Lira, Gareth, Merlin. They were older now, wiser, but their resolve was the same as it had been two years ago. The same resolve that had united them, that had defeated Julian and the Soul-Eating Lord.
"Then we leave at dawn," Kael said. "We'll gather the best warriors from each bloodline. We'll stock up on supplies. We'll train through the night, if we have to. And we'll stop the Shadow Coven."
The others nodded.
"Elven archers will be ready," Leah said.
"Phoenixes will soar ahead, scouting the path," Lira added.
"Griffins will carry the warriors, and we'll guard the flanks," Gareth said.
Merlin smiled, a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes. "And I'll prepare spells to counter the dark magic. We'll be ready."
Kael turned, looking out at the Ironspine Cliffs. The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. Below, griffins roared, elves and phoenixes hurried to prepare, warriors sharpened their weapons.
The calm was over.
A new threat had risen.
Ancient. Powerful. Merciless.
But they were the four bloodlines. They were the realm's guardians.
And they would not fall.
The merged fire in Kael's veins burned bright, a beacon of light in the fading darkness.
Tomorrow, they would march into the Shadowlands.
Tomorrow, the fight would begin again.