I wake with a sharp gasp, my body jolting upright. The room is unfamiliar—clean and modern, with a strange warmth about it. Full glass windows stretch from floor to ceiling, offering a panoramic view of an endless ocean that glistens under the sun. The crash of waves fills my ears, soothing yet alien.

I push myself out of the bed, feeling the ache in every muscle as I stumble to the window. The sight before me stirs a painful memory, a fleeting glimpse of home—Zenot—before it was lost. My throat tightens.

"It's over now," a voice says softly.

I turn sharply to see Alyse leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable. She's trying to keep her calm, but I can see the faint shadow of concern in her eyes.

"Vermidia is dead, Domnik is dead, and the Spawn all vanished into thin air. I assume they couldn't exist without her." She adds.

"Is Red—?" I manage to ask, my voice hoarse.

"Still asleep," she replies, stepping into the room. "He took a beating again. We found him covered in your ice. What the hell happened in there?"

I hesitate, the memories of the battle flashing before me. Vermidia's whispers. The icy wrath I unleashed. The chaos of that fractured realm. Red learning what I did to Domnik. "It's... complicated," I say finally.

Alyse raises an eyebrow but doesn't press. "Well, I guess I'll wait to hear his side of it then," she says, her tone light but probing.

I nod slowly, glancing back at the ocean. "Where are we?"

"A beach house in Florida," she says. "Kylen had it built a couple of years ago. Honestly, I forgot it even existed. Everyone's in the living room down the hall. We're celebrating the death of the Daem and our return to Naurus."

Her words bring little comfort. The weight of everything Vermidia said and the truths I uncovered linger like a storm cloud. "About that..." I start.

Alyse tenses, lifting a hand to silence me. "I don't care," she says firmly. "I just want a victory for now. You can tell me the bad news later."

I exhale, nodding. "Right. Well, you guys can party without me. I need to stop drinking anyway."

She smirks, the tension easing slightly. "Yeah, right. I give you a week."

"Try two hours," I joke, forcing a chuckle. "I'm working on it. I promise. And the DragonsBreath?"

Her smirk fades, "Kylen locked the DragonsBreath in the vault downstairs. Why?"

"Just making sure we recovered it," I say casually, though the truth churns in my chest. "Thanks."

"Sure thing," she replies, giving me a nod before turning to leave.

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As she walks away, I linger for a moment, then head toward the living room. Laughter and conversation echo through the hall, a stark contrast to the battle we've just endured. I pass by without stopping, catching glimpses of familiar faces smiling and drinking. For them, Vermidia's death is cause for celebration.

For me? The war isn't over. Iridian is back, and he's out there somewhere. It's only a matter of time.

I make my way to the basement. The air grows cooler as I descend, each step heavier than the last. A sleek, reinforced vault door greets me at the bottom, scanning my face.

"Welcome, Magnus," a mechanical voice chirps as the door hisses open.

Inside, rows of empty glass tubes line the walls, remnants of battles past. At the end of the row stands the DragonsBreath, encased and dormant. Its weight calls to me as I step closer, my hand trembling slightly as I reach out.

My fingers wrap around the hilt, and the blade springs to life, igniting in a blue, icy glow unlike the fiery blaze it takes in Red's hands. Whispers and visions flood my mind, dragging me into a swirling, cloudy world.

"Hail," a deep voice echoes, sending a shiver down my spine. "I was hoping you'd come poking around eventually."

I whirl around to face the source of the voice—a towering figure with an aura of power and authority. His scales shimmer like molten gold, and his eyes burn with ancient knowledge.

"Draco," I whisper. "Dragonfather."

He regards me with a faint smirk. "It's been a while."

"Am I dead?" I ask, my voice unsteady. "Where am I?"

"Hmph. No, boy. We're inside the blade, of course."

I glance around at the swirling mists, confusion knitting my brow. "Inside the blade? I don't understand. I wielded it without the Madium Claw. How is that possible?"

Draco's smirk fades into something more serious. "The blade's true nature has been hidden from you, but now that Vermidia is gone, it's time you learned the truth."

"Truth? What truth?"

He scratches his chin. "The blade is, well it's quite confusing really, I'm sure you'll learn that in time. Though, one thing is certain, the blade can only be wielded by a child of Magnus without the Madium Claw."

"So you're saying..." Hail takes a step back. "Why am I just now being told this?"

"Well everyone who knew was dead and telling you would have been a poor choice as your mind was compromised by Vermidia for some time. Now that she's dead, and He approaches, you should all three know." He says.

"Three?" My heart skips a beat.

"Well if your brother is Red, who is his sister? The child that the Daem took interest in."

"Alyse." I take a step back, all of the pieces to fall into place.

"Mmm, I wish I could assist you more, but my time has run out. Wouldn't want that damn Court getting involved now would we?" he says. "Tell Red I wish him well. Goodbye, Hail."

The world around me snaps back into focus. I stand in the vault, the DragonsBreath still glowing faintly in my hand. My mind races with Draco's words. Triplets. Magnus's children. Everything I thought I knew is unraveling. Red and Alyse, my actual blood siblings? Red Magnus and Alyse Magnus.

I return the blade to its tube, the weight of my choices pressing down on me. Now Red is going to want me dead for killing Domnik, not once but twice. What have I done?

Leaving the vault, I walk to the shoreline, the sand warm beneath my feet. I sit and stare at the endless ocean, my mind a storm of guilt and questions.

From the corner of my eye, I see her—Mia. She's not really there, just a memory, but her smile is so vivid it feels real. She sits beside me, her presence calming.

"Stop it, Hail," she says gently. "Stop worrying about the future. You did what you set out to do. You avenged me."

"Then why does it feel like I've failed all over again?" I ask, my voice breaking.

"You're too hard on yourself," she says, her tone full of warmth. "Trust me."

I nod, turning back to the horizon. I reach to my face and pull my mask off, leaving it in the sand. The time for mourning is over. If I am truly Magnus's son, if I truly have fulfilled this prophecy. Then it's time to embrace my role. It's time to claim my father's throne.

And if Red wants a fight, I'll give it to him.