The sound of knocking and shouting from outside the room shattered the tense silence. Darren and Alana exchanged anxious glances, leaving Alina frozen in place, still reeling from the awakening of her newfound power. The door creaked open, revealing an old man in a faded but neatly kept servant’s uniform. His wrinkled face bore the sharp gaze of someone who had seen too much.“Master Darren, Mistress Alana,” the servant said, his voice laced with concern. “There’s… an uninvited guest at the main gate.”Darren scoffed in irritation. “Who is it this time? We’re not in the mood for visitors.”“They insist on seeing the lady… one of the ladies,” the servant replied, his eyes flickering briefly to Alina with an unreadable expression.Alina felt the weight of his stare—it wasn’t just the respectful gaze of a servant to his master. There was caution there… maybe even recognition?“Tell them to leave,” Alana snapped. “We don’t have time for strangers.”“I tried, ma’am,” the old man replied, s

A searing violet light momentarily blinded everything in the forest. Darren and Alana staggered backward, their hands raised to shield their eyes. The monstrous creatures hissed angrily, their bodies visibly trembling under the impact of the mysterious energy. Sssshhh! Grrr!Alina herself felt a strange sensation coursing through her entire body. The power felt alien yet familiar, as if she had used it in a forgotten past. Vague memories of a glowing hand and the pained roars of enemies flickered through her mind. Wush! Aaaargh!When the light subsided, the forest looked slightly different. Several trees around Alina appeared blackened as if burned at their trunks. The creatures retreated a few steps, their red eyes showing a newfound wariness and fear."What... what was that?" Alana whispered, her voice trembling, staring at Alina in horror.Darren remained silent, his face ashen. The silver dagger in his hand seemed to vibrate. He looked at Alina as if seeing a ghost. Krrr..."Lyra.

Alina stepped out of the cave, her body wrapped in a glowing violet light that pierced through the darkness of the forest. Alana, still frozen at the cave’s mouth, staggered back in fear at the drastic transformation before her.“No way…” Alana whispered, eyes wide with disbelief. “That power… has fully awakened?”At that moment, Seraphina’s squad arrived at the cave entrance, their torches illuminating the horrific scene within. Thomas lay motionless in a pool of blood, Alana trembled with terror, and Alina now radiated a terrifying, otherworldly energy.Despite her injuries, Seraphina rushed to Thomas’s side, tears streaming down her face as she knelt beside her unmoving friend. Rage welled up inside her as she turned sharply to Alana.“You’ll pay for this!” Seraphina growled, preparing to strike.But Alina raised her hand, halting Seraphina’s advance. Her gaze locked onto Alana, cold and resolute.“Not you,” Alina said, her voice altered—deeper, with an echo that reverberated throu

Alina stood frozen, a statue carved from grief, before Darren's still form. Tears, unbidden and relentless, traced silver paths down her pale cheeks. A peculiar ache, a blend of sharp regret and bewildering loss, clenched her heart. Though their bond had been forged in the crucible of deceit, Darren's sacrifice resonated with a profound truth, an unselfish act that whispered of a deeper connection they had unknowingly cultivated.But Alina’s sorrow was a fragile bloom, quickly withered by the primal scream of her instincts. A greater danger pulsed in the air, a suffocating dread. She could feel the ancient entity’s presence drawing nearer, its dark and frigid energy seeping through the very fabric of the forest like a creeping, malevolent fog. The creature that craved Lyra’s power, the unseen hand that might have orchestrated the generations of their family’s torment.Seraphina, though bearing the visible scars of battle and the raw wound of Thomas’s absence, stood resolute beside Ali

Lyra looked at Seraphina, a genuine smile curving her lips for the first time since she awoke without memories."We did it," she whispered, her voice laced with exhaustion, yet filled with a deep, quiet joy.Seraphina returned the smile, tears of relief once again streaming down her cheeks."Yes, Lyra. We did it." She pulled Lyra into a tight embrace—a hug forged by time and tested through countless perils.Thomas’s followers nodded solemnly, some discreetly wiping away tears. They had lost a leader, a friend, but they had also witnessed the end of a curse that had haunted the family of this house for generations.Lyra gently pulled away from Seraphina and glanced around the underground chamber, now filled with a profound sense of peace. The dark energy was gone, replaced by a calm aura of hope. She touched the crescent moon carved into the stone altar—a symbol that now felt like a part of her."This house..." Lyra murmured. "It holds too many painful memories. But also... memories of