Silver And Shadow: Twisted Fate

I hate trudging through mud at dawn, especially when Thalia won't tell us where we're going. Jay keeps throwing worried glances my way, probably thinking about Lyra's betrayal… well it was not like she was really on our side to begin with.

God, I can still hear that howl echoing in my dreams.

"For the hundredth time," I pant, ducking under a low-hanging branch, "where exactly are we heading?"

Thalia doesn't even look back. "To someone who might actually have answers about what you really are and how to help your case." She pushes aside a curtain of vines, revealing... more trees. Great.

But then I feel it… Like walking through cobwebs made of lightning, The magic here feels different somehow.

Not a bad difference. A unique difference.

"You feel it, don't you?" Thalia finally stops, watching me with those unnerving eyes of hers.

I nod, unable to find words for the sensation. The magic is practically singing to me now, pulling me forward like an invisible thread.

Jay sniffs the air, his shoulders tense. "There's something wrong about this place. The scents... they're all mixed up. Like time itself is confused."

"That's because it is." Thalia places her hand on what looks like an ordinary oak tree, and suddenly everything shifts. Seemingly folding into itself, the forest revealed a structure that definitely wasn't there before.

"Holy shit," I whisper, staring at the massive stone building that's somehow grown out of nowhere. It's covered in vines and moss, looking like it's been here for centuries. Maybe it has.

"Welcome to the Archive," Thalia says, actually cracking a smile for once. "Try not to touch anything that looks important. Some of these books bite."

She's not kidding. As we step inside, I swear I see a leather-bound volume snap at Jay's fingers when he reaches for it. As far as the eyes can see, The walls are lined with books, scrolls, and artifacts that make my newly awakened magic buzz like I've chugged ten energy drinks.

"Visitors?" A voice echoes from somewhere above us. "How... unexpected."

I look up to see a man descending a spiral staircase that seems to be made of floating glass. He's tall, with silver-streaked dark hair and eyes that can't seem to decide what color they want to be.

"Lucien," Thalia nods curtly. "We need your expertise."

But Lucien isn't looking at her. His ever-changing eyes are fixed on me, and there's something in his expression that makes me feel on edge. Recognition? Wonder? Fear? Maybe all three.

"By all the ancient powers," he breathes. "It's true then. A hybrid walks among us once more."

Jay steps closer to me, a low growl building in his chest. "How do you know what she is?"

"My dear boy," Lucien chuckles, but there's no humor in it. "I've spent centuries cataloging the histories of both our kinds. And her?" He gestures at me like I'm some rare specimen. "She's walking, breathing proof of legends I thought were mere myths."

Goosebumps sweep over my skin the way he's looking at me. "I'm not a legend," I snapped. "I'm just... me."

"That's one of the best ways you can describe yourself currently but… what are you?" Lucien moves to a nearby shelf, pulling out a scroll so old it looks like it might crumble to dust. "Then perhaps you can explain why your aura carries traces of both lunar and spiritual energy? Why your magic behaves unlike anything seen in modern records?"

I open my mouth to argue, but no words come out. Because honestly? I can't explain any of that.

The scroll he's holding starts to glow faintly as he unrolls it, and my power responds immediately, sending sparks of golden light dancing through the air. The ancient text seems to shift and move, forming patterns that make my head spin.

"The prophecy," Lucien murmurs, more to himself than to us. "After all these years..."

But before he can continue, Jay suddenly stiffens. "Someone's coming," he warns, his eyes flashing golden. "And they're not alone."

The magic in the air thickens like smoke before a fire, and I realize we might have just walked straight into another trap.

Some legend I'm turning out to be.

"We need to hide," Jay insists, but Lucien waves his hand dismissively.

"The Archive protects its own," he says, which honestly doesn't make me feel any better. But then I notice the approaching footsteps and voices just... fade away, like they were never there.

Lucien turns back to the scroll, and my attention snaps to the way the ancient text seems to wriggle on the page. It's both fascinating and seriously creepy.

"Oh," Thalia breathes, leaning forward. "Is that...?"

"The Prophecy of Convergence," Lucien confirms, his weird color-shifting eyes gleaming. "Written in blood by the first Seer of our kind."

Great. More blood magic. Just what we need.

"Get to the point," Thalia snaps, her patience clearly wearing thin. "What does it say about her?"

The way they're talking about me like I'm not even here is really starting to piss me off. A nearby bookshelf rattles ominously, and Jay puts a steadying hand on my shoulder.

"Patience," Lucien murmurs, tracing the twisted symbols with one long finger.

"Prophecies are delicate things. One mistranslation and.." He stops suddenly, his expression changing. "Oh. Oh my."

"What?" I demand. "What does it say?"

Instead of answering, he starts reading in a language that sounds like breaking glass and howling wind combined. Each word makes my power surge, like it recognizes something I don't.

"In English," Jay growls. "Before she brings the whole place down."

He's not exaggerating.

Books fly off shelves now, swirling around us in a golden tornado and it's me.

Despite all my past experiences, I try to rein it in… and as usual it didn't work since it's like trying to hold back a flood with a paper cup. (You can't blame a girl for trying)

At this point, Lucien switches to English:

"When moon and spirit merge in flesh,

When ancient barriers grow weak,

A child of both and neither stands

At the crossroads of defeat.

In her veins runs power old,

To mend the break or tear it wide,

United strength or scattered souls,

By her choice worlds divide."

The books crash to the floor as my concentration shatters completely. "That's... that's about me?"

"It's about what you represent," Lucien corrects. "The potential for either salvation or destruction."

"Bullshit," Jay steps forward. "She's not some weapon you can point at your enemies."

"Come down mutt," Thalia shot at Jay but she agreed, surprising us all. "She's much more dangerous than that."

The way she says it makes ice run down my spine.

I look between them; the historian with his ancient knowledge, the rogue witch with her hidden agenda, and my werewolf protector who always looks ready to tear anything apart.

"I never wanted any of this," I whisper, but even as I say it, I know it doesn't matter. The power thrumming through my veins has its own ideas.

"'Want' rarely factors into destiny," Lucien says softly. "But perhaps that's why you were chosen. Someone who craves power rarely wields it wisely."

"Chosen?" I laugh, and it sounds slightly hysterical even to my own ears. "I was an accident. A mistake."

"There are no accidents in prophecy," Lucien counters. His eyes have settled on a stormy grey that matches the gathering magic in the air. "Only patterns we fail to recognize."

Suddenly, the Archive's temperature drops drastically. Frost creeps across the ancient books, and my breath comes out in clouds. Through our bond, I feel Jay's anxiety spike.

"Something's wrong," he says, just as a high-pitched whine fills the air. It reminds me of the sound just before everything went to hell in the ritual chamber.

Lucien moves faster than I thought possible, grabbing more scrolls and books. "They're breaking through the barriers," he announces, like he's commenting on the weather. "Seems both factions have decided to make their move simultaneously."

"Both?" I echo weakly.

A distant explosion makes the entire building shudder. Through the windows, I see flashes of spell-fire mixed with the darker shapes of what can only be werewolves.

"Well," Thalia says, drawing power into her hands, "at least we won't have to track down everyone who wants you dead. They're all coming to us."

The prophecy scroll still lies open on the table, its words seeming to mock me. Unite or destroy. Save or doom. No pressure, right?

But before I can really process any of it, Lucien grabs my arm. His touch sends images flooding through my mind; a hidden chamber, an ancient artifact, a power that is important though I don't know how… not yet at least.

"There's something you need to see," he says urgently. "Something that might help you control what's awakening inside you."

Another explosion rocks the Archive, closer this time. And I realize we're about to find out just how accurate this prophecy is going to be.

Before I can ask Lucien what he means, a massive crash echoes through the Archive. Books go flying as something (or someone) smashes through one of the upper upper chambers.

"The artifact," Lucien says urgently, spreading out an ancient map on a nearby table. The parchment looks like it might disintegrate if someone breathes on it wrong. "It's your best chance for now."

"We don't have time for treasure hunts," Thalia snaps, throwing up a barrier just as a fireball hurtles toward us. The magical shield shatters on impact, sending us all stumbling backward.

I catch a glimpse of Nova through the broken window, her hands blazing with power. Because of course she would be here. Fan-freaking-tastic.

"Make time," Lucien insists, jabbing his finger at a spot on the map. The location glows with a tiny blue light that makes my magic hum in response.

"The Nexus Crown. It's not just a legend, it's real. And it's the only thing powerful enough to help her control this level of power."

Another crash, and this time I hear familiar howls. Jay tenses beside me, his eyes flashing amber. "That's Kael," he growls. "And he's brought a large number with him."

Great. Just great. Witches above, werewolves below, and me in the middle with my stupidly unpredictable powers. Speaking of which...

The magic surges without warning, making my vision blur with golden light.

Suddenly I'm not just in the Archive anymore… I'm everywhere and nowhere, seeing fragments of what feels like a hundred possible futures all at once.

I see myself wearing a crown of light, power flowing through me like a river. I see battlefields littered with bodies, both witch and wolf. I see walls between worlds crumbling like sand, and things that shouldn't exist crawling through the cracks.

"Olivia!" Jay's voice snaps me back to reality. I'm on my knees somehow, my nose bleeding. The visions fade, but the terror they brought lingers.

"The Crown," Lucien says again, more urgently. "It was created for exactly this purpose; to help bridge the gap between different types of magic. To create harmony where there was discord."

"Or to make her powerful enough to destroy everyone," Thalia points out, ever the optimist.

An inhuman scream cuts through the air, followed by the sound of claws on stone. They're getting closer. We're running out of time.

"The artifact lies here," Lucien says, pointing to the glowing spot on the map again. "But retrieving it may cost you alot."

"What does that even mean?" I demand, but deep down, I already know. The visions showed me enough.

The archive shakes again. On the upper levels, I see more witches appearing, their hands glowing with deadly intent.

Below, wolf howls get closer. They're coordinating their attack, which would be impressive if they weren't trying to kill us.

"It means," Lucien says gravely, "that the Crown lies in the one place both factions can't easily tread. The convergence point between our world and the spirit realm."

Oh. Oh hell no.

"The same spirit realm that's trying to bleed into our world and destroy everything?" I ask, just to be clear.

"The very same." Lucien starts rolling up the map. "And you need to leave. Now."

As if to emphasize his point, part of the ceiling caves in. Thalia barely gets a shield up in time to deflect the falling debris.

"Go," she says, her hands blazing with power. "I'll hold them off."

"Thalia.." I start, but she cuts me off.

"Don't get sentimental now, kid. Just try not to destroy the yourself before I catch up."

Jay grabs my hand, pulling me toward what looks like a perfectly ordinary bookshelf. Lucien touches it in a complicated pattern and it swings open, revealing a dark passage.

But before we can move, another vision hits me… stronger than before. I see Thalia, standing alone against overwhelming odds. I see her fall. I see what happens next.

"Wait," I gasp, fighting against Jay's grip. "We can't leave her. She'll.."

"Die?" Thalia laughs, but there's no humor in it. "Please. I've survived worse than this."

The vision says otherwise, but there's no time to argue.

"The Crown," Lucien reminds me.

Right.

No pressure.

Just need to venture into the spirit realm, grab an ancient artifact that I don't really know what the real use case for it is, and try not to die in the process. All while both witches and werewolves hunt me down.

Wonderful.

Just wonderful.