The waves had finally calmed, but the storm inside Maika had only just begun.
She sat curled in a thick wool blanket by the fire, her damp hair cascading over her shoulders, eyes distant. The taste of saltwater still lingered on her lips, but it wasn't the ocean that haunted her—it was the memory. That voice in her dream. That man's face. The ache in her chest that didn't belong to this life.
Carl had pulled her from the water, held her trembling body, whispered her name again and again. But even then, she had felt like a stranger in her own skin.
Now, hours later, she clutched a parchment in her trembling hands. The ink was slightly smudged where a teardrop had fallen—but the message was clear. Her heart spilled onto the page in the only way she knew how.
---
TO MY EVER-LOVING FATHER,
Dad, I know by now you're desperately searching for me. Yes, I was kidnapped, and my vampire abilities have been suppressed—but please, don't worry. I'm okay.
In fact, I see this as a blessing in disguise. I've begun to remember pieces of myself that I had long forgotten. I'm rediscovering who I truly am. For the first time in a long time, I feel alive again.
I know this isn't what you expected. I'm not ready for the wedding. I need more time—time to heal, to grow, and to find clarity. Please understand.
I promise I will return when I am ready. Until then, trust me. I love you always.
– Maika
---
The fire crackled beside her, casting flickers of gold across her pale face. She sealed the letter with a single drop of blood, her own, pressing the signet Carl had returned to her into the warm wax.
She exhaled slowly. There. It was done.
---
VALUS' CHAMBER – NIGHT
The crimson wax shimmered under the candlelight as Valus unfolded the letter. His fingers trembled only once—but that was enough to betray the storm brewing beneath his stoic expression.
His nose twitched. He could smell it—her blood.
Real.
Undeniable.
His Maika.
He pressed the parchment to his chest and closed his eyes. For a moment, the weight crushing his chest lightened. Then… the memories returned.
Vienna. The fire in her eyes. The defiance in her voice. The way she kissed him like she was already saying goodbye.
And now Maika. Just like her mother. Stubborn. Untamable. A storm given flesh.
He opened his comm-crystal, his voice like steel.
"Summon the generals. Cease all searches. And cancel the wedding."
The room fell deathly silent.
Then, without waiting, he pressed another sigil—one carved into his memory by blood and time.
The crystal flickered.
"Hi, Dad," came Malko's voice. "I'm in A-Country. Is everything alright? Have you found Maika?"
"She sent a letter," Valus said. "She's safe. But… not ready for the wedding."
A pause.
"Where is she?"
"She didn't say. But Malko—come home. There are matters we need to discuss."
"I'll be there by morning."
Valus dropped the crystal and leaned back in his throne-like chair, exhaling through clenched teeth.
The wedding must go forward. Not Maika.
With Malko.
The bloodline must not break.
Because if the world ever discovered the truth…
That Maika and Malko were not full-blood vampires…
That their mother, Vienna, was a witch…
The royal clans would turn on them like wolves.
---
ON THE ISLAND – LATER THAT NIGHT
Maika thrashed in her sleep, tangled in sweat-drenched sheets.
"Please… save my son… Give him back to his father… I cannot fight any longer…"
The voice echoed, more vivid now than ever before. She saw herself—but not herself. A woman with human eyes, screaming as flames devoured the sky.
And him. That man cloaked in silver moonlight. His arms, his voice, his sorrow.
She bolted upright with a sob.
"No… No, that can't be. I was human? Whose life was that?"
She gripped her chest, heart hammering wildly.
This wasn't madness.
It was memory.
And it wanted to be remembered.
A knock broke her thoughts.
She jerked the blanket tighter.
"Come in."
Carl stepped in, hesitant. The golden light revealed the worry etched deep into his brow.
"I heard you… talking in your sleep."
Maika looked up, eyes haunted.
"I… I'm sorry. Just nightmares."
Carl studied her for a moment. The storm had shaken her—and yet, she looked stronger than ever. Eyes clearer. Voice steadier.
"Can I ask you something?" she whispered, sitting up straighter.
He nodded slowly. "Go on."
"Why are you really keeping me on this island?"
His jaw clenched. "To prevent your clan from gaining another heir."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You already know I contacted my father. You know the wedding is canceled."
Carl didn't answer.
She tilted her head, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Unless… unless you know something about me. Something you don't want them to find out."
Silence.
Then…
"Yes," he said quietly.
Maika stared at him, stunned.
"Release me," she said. "I'll keep your secrets. I'll even lie for you if I must. Just let me go. Please."
Carl's heart twisted.
He had brought her here to protect her. To trigger her memories. To wake what lay dormant inside her.
But maybe now was the time to trust her.
To trust them.
"I'll let you go," he said. "On one condition."
Her breath caught.
"Don't marry anyone yet."
She blinked. "What?"
"I'll have documents drawn up. Tomorrow. You'll sign them. They'll acknowledge our bond."
Before she could speak, he turned and walked out.
Maika stared at the doorway long after he'd gone.
Her heart pounded.
Tomorrow… she would be free.
---
CARL'S ROOM – MIDNIGHT
Carl stood in front of the window, the moonlight catching the sharp line of his jaw. His fingers hovered over the crystal communicator.
"Prepare the documents," he said to his assistant. "Deliver them to the Island at dawn."
"Yes, my lord," came the reply. "Also… Malko is set to marry next month."
Carl's lips thinned.
"I know. Valus is rushing it."
"He's desperate," the assistant added. "If the royal bloodline fails in this generation, it could be lost for centuries."
Carl ended the call without another word.
His gaze drifted to the room where his son—Caveen—slept peacefully.
Valus didn't know.
No one did.
That Maika, the vampire hybrid, had fallen in love with a lycan.
That together, they had created something more.
Not just a child.
A legacy.
The heir to the elite realms.
And if Valus ever found out…
He would stop at nothing to claim him.
Even if it meant destroying them all.
Carl pressed his forehead against the cool windowpane.
"I'll protect you," he whispered.
"To my last breath."