Kael couldn't breathe.
The woman before him—the shadow-wrapped creature wearing Aria's mother's face—spoke in a voice that shattered the silence of the Hollow. Her every word rang with cold prophecy and dark conviction.
"You were never meant to carry the Eclipse power alone," she had said. "It was forged for two. One to create… and one to destroy."
Kael's eyes snapped to Aria. She stood frozen, trembling, her obsidian shard flickering like a dying flame in her palm.
"You're lying," Aria whispered, shaking her head. "You're not my mother."
But the shadow-queen only tilted her head. "Oh, but I am. I am the soul she left behind. The part of her consumed by this place… by the truth."
Kael took a step forward, instinct screaming at him to protect Aria from this twisted thing.
But Aria lifted a hand. "No, Kael. I need to hear this."
His gut twisted. The woman he loved—his fated mate—was facing a revelation that could undo her completely, and he was powerless to stop it.
The shadow-woman drifted closer, her feet never touching the ground. "You carry the blood of the Eclipse, Aria. But that blood is not pure. It was bound with ancient magic, forbidden even among the elders. Your father was not who you were told."
Aria's heart thudded. "Then who?"
"Your father was the first Shadow Alpha."
Kael felt the world tilt.
The Shadow Alphas were a myth—warriors born of darkness and madness, whose powers had once torn realms apart during the Eclipse War. They weren't supposed to exist anymore. Not in this age. Not in Aria.
"That's not possible," Aria said, stepping back, clutching her chest. "He died before I was born. My mother said he was a protector. A hero."
The shadow's laughter echoed around them, bouncing off the Hollow's cursed stone walls. "He was both. And neither. He chose to die so you could live… and inherit what he couldn't control."
Aria's knees buckled, and Kael rushed to catch her. His arms wrapped around her instinctively, grounding her.
"Kael…" Her voice was broken. "Am I a monster?"
He cupped her face. "No. You're not. You are everything I've ever believed in."
But deep inside, Kael felt the weight of dread.
Because if what the shadow said was true, then Aria wasn't just powerful—she was dangerous. And if she lost control…
The Hollow would not be the only thing to fall.
Aria's POV
The pain in her chest was unbearable. It wasn't just heartbreak. It was the feeling of her soul cracking open under the truth.
Her father—her real father—was a Shadow Alpha.
No wonder the Elders wanted her gone. No wonder the visions had haunted her for years. She was a living weapon, a relic of a war no one wanted to remember.
But Kael was here.
Even now, when he should run, when the truth should terrify him… he held her. And that made her want to fight even harder.
"I need to see," she whispered. "I need to go deeper."
Kael's grip tightened. "What do you mean?"
Aria looked past him, to the great abyss at the heart of the Hollow. The bone bridge was gone. The shadows were swirling, hungry.
"If my mother left a part of herself behind… maybe I can find her. Maybe she didn't become this. Maybe I can bring her back."
Kael's eyes widened. "You're talking about soulwalking. That magic hasn't been used in centuries. Aria, you could die."
"I was born dead," she said, stepping away. "Everything after that was borrowed time."
And before he could stop her, she stepped into the darkness.
Kael's POV
Kael cursed and followed, but the shadows pushed him back.
He could only watch as Aria's body collapsed, her spirit vanishing into the Hollow's heart.
"Aria!" he screamed, falling to his knees.
But there was no answer.
Only silence.
Aria's Soulwalk — Beyond the Hollow
The world was white.
And then, crimson.
She stood in a sea of blood-stained stars, floating between fragments of memory and soul. Here, time did not exist. Here, truth wore no mask.
Her mother stood before her—not the shadow-creature, but the woman she remembered. Silver hair. Gentle eyes. A sadness that could shatter mountains.
"You came," her mother whispered, reaching out. "My brave girl."
Tears slipped from Aria's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me the truth?"
Her mother knelt in front of her. "Because I wanted you to live. Because I didn't want you to grow up with the weight I carried."
"You made me a weapon."
"No. I made you strong."
Aria clenched her fists. "What do I do now?"
Her mother smiled, though it was pained. "You do what I couldn't. You break the curse. You choose love, Aria. Even when it hurts."
Aria blinked. "Kael."
Her mother nodded. "He's your balance. He was always meant to be."
Kael's POV — The Bond is Broken
Kael sat beside Aria's motionless body, his hand wrapped around hers.
He didn't notice the tears.
Didn't hear the distant roar of magic collapsing.
Until her fingers moved.
And her eyes opened—blazing silver, bright as moons.
He exhaled. "Aria…"
But when she looked at him, something in her eyes was… different.
Stronger.
Colder.
"I saw everything," she whispered. "And now I know what I must do."
Kael nodded, but his chest tightened with dread. "Then let's go home."
But she pulled her hand back. "No. I need to stay. The Hollow isn't finished with me."
He stood, heart pounding. "What are you saying?"
Her gaze pierced him. "I'm saying… this is where I belong. For now."
Kael reached for her, but she stepped away. "If I go with you now, I'll bring death to the pack. To you."
His voice cracked. "I don't care. I won't leave you."
"You have to."
"Aria…"
But she was already fading, her body turning to shadow and light.
And as she disappeared into the Hollow's heart, her voice echoed.
"Wait for me, Kael. I will come back. When I'm whole."
And he was left alone in the darkness.