The vault had been sealed again—but something had already escaped.
Amara sat by the fire in the east wing library, staring at the old journal Rowan had slipped into her hands before vanishing on a "mission" no one seemed to know about.
The cover was bound in dragonhide. The pages smelled of dust and secrets.
Inside were sketches—of symbols she'd seen only once before. On Lucien's skin.
The journal belonged to Adeline Blackwell, the first mistress of the Vault.
> "Lucien was not born of man," one entry read. "He was conjured. Designed. Bound."
Amara felt sick.
She turned the page.
> "He was never meant to fall in love."
Another page.
> "If he bonds with a bloodline heir, the Vault will awaken completely—and so will the Destroyer."
The Destroyer?
A chill crept through her bones.
She had thought Lucien's loyalty was bound to her. She hadn't imagined it might be part of a design—or a trap.
Suddenly, the flames in the fireplace rose in a spiral.
The scent of ash shifted.
And in the fire… a face appeared. Not Lucien's. Something darker.
"You read what was forbidden," it growled.
Amara grabbed the journal and backed away.
"I had to," she whispered.
> "Then you will pay the price."
The fire exploded. A sigil lit up across the wall behind her—a warning. A countdown.
She had six days.
Six days before the Vault unlocked itself.