The floating crimson screen hovered in front of my face like it belonged in a dream.
Its letters were sharp and clean, glowing faintly like they had been carved from blood itself.
NEW SKILL UNLOCKED
BLOOD THREAD CONTROL: LEVEL ONE
Kael stood beside me, mouth half open, staring at the screen like he was witnessing the end of the world.
He blinked once.
Twice.
Then he slowly lifted a trembling finger and poked the air.
His finger passed through the screen.
He froze.
Then he poked again.
Still nothing.
Kael turned to me, eyes wide.
"Elara," he whispered. "This is not normal."
I stared at him.
"Everything about tonight is not normal," I replied.
Kael swallowed hard.
"I mean, I have stolen from nobles, run from hunters, slept in sewer tunnels, and survived three assassination attempts in my life," he said. "But I have never seen a floating blood screen welcoming someone back like a queen."
The words made my stomach twist.
Welcome back, Queen.
The Queen's voice echoed calmly inside my mind.
It is not a greeting. It is recognition.
I inhaled slowly, forcing myself to focus.
My crown mark was still burning faintly, but it was no longer painful. It felt like a pulse. A steady heartbeat.
The sanctuary's heartbeat.
The seven shadow guards stood in silence at the edge of the hall, motionless like statues. Their crimson eyes were dim, no longer hostile.
But I could still feel their presence.
Watching.
Judging.
Kael took a slow step backward.
"So," he whispered, "if those things wake up again… can you control them"
I did not answer.
Because I was wondering the same thing.
The floating screen flickered again.
A new line of text appeared.
TRAINING MODE AVAILABLE
ACCESS: LEVEL ONE
AUTHORIZED USER: ELARA NIGHTBORNE
ROYAL HEIR STATUS: UNCONFIRMED
WARNING: HOST INSTABILITY DETECTED
My breath caught.
Host instability.
The Queen's voice became sharp.
They mean you.
I clenched my jaw.
"So I am unstable," I muttered.
Kael's eyes widened.
"Who are you talking to," he asked cautiously.
I stared at the screen.
No point lying.
"She is inside me," I said.
Kael went still.
"She," he repeated.
My lips tightened.
"The Forgotten Queen," I said quietly.
Kael's face slowly drained of color.
He took two steps backward.
Then three.
Then he turned around like he was about to sprint out of the sanctuary.
I grabbed his wrist.
He froze.
"Elara," he said slowly, voice shaking, "I have made a lot of mistakes in my life. A lot. But I do not think I can handle being friends with someone who has a dead queen living inside her blood."
"I am not asking you to be my friend," I replied.
Kael stared at me.
Then he whispered.
"You saved me from those blood hunters."
I narrowed my eyes.
"You saved me first," I said.
Kael opened his mouth, then closed it again.
He looked down at my hand gripping his wrist.
Then he looked up at me with a nervous laugh.
"Okay," he said. "So we are in a partnership. Not friendship. Partnership sounds safer."
I released his wrist.
Kael rubbed his arm dramatically like I had broken it.
Then he muttered under his breath.
"I should have stayed stealing bread."
Despite everything, a faint smile almost formed on my lips.
Almost.
The floating screen shifted again.
A new option appeared.
SKILL TRAINING: BLOOD THREAD CONTROL
INITIATE YES OR NO
Kael leaned closer.
"It is asking you a question," he said.
"I can read," I replied.
Kael blinked.
Then he frowned.
"That was rude," he muttered.
I ignored him.
My eyes stayed on the screen.
Blood Thread Control.
I could already guess what it meant.
A technique that allowed me to manipulate blood like invisible strings.
Like puppetry.
Like control.
The Queen's voice whispered.
It is one of the first royal techniques. It is not flashy. But it is deadly.
I inhaled slowly.
Then I whispered.
"Yes."
The moment the word left my lips, the sanctuary reacted.
The crimson runes in the floor lit up like fire.
The throne pulsed.
The air became heavier.
Then the floating screen disappeared.
And the hall changed.
The stone beneath my feet became smooth and white, like polished marble. The pillars shifted into a circle. The shadows moved away.
A training arena.
Kael yelped.
"What did you do," he demanded.
"I did not do anything," I snapped.
But my voice lacked confidence.
Because I had done something.
I had activated the sanctuary.
The seven shadow guards stepped forward.
Kael jumped behind me instantly.
"No no no no," he muttered. "Not them again. Please. I have done nothing wrong. I have never even stolen from a poor person. Mostly."
I ignored him.
The guards formed a circle around me.
Then they stopped.
One of them raised its hand.
And suddenly, a crimson orb floated into the air.
The orb expanded, forming the shape of a human body.
A training dummy.
But it looked real.
It had arms, legs, and a face.
Its eyes were empty.
Then the dummy moved.
It stepped forward.
Kael let out a sharp breath.
"It is alive," he whispered.
The Queen's voice was cold.
It is not alive. It is a blood construct. Strike it.
I tightened my fists.
My shoulder wound still burned, but the pain was manageable.
The dummy attacked.
Fast.
It lunged at me with a blade formed from blood.
I dodged and stepped back.
The dummy struck again.
I blocked with my arm, summoning a thin layer of crimson aura to protect myself.
The impact shook me.
My ribs screamed.
I stumbled.
Kael shouted.
"Elara, fight back!"
I glared at him.
"As if I forgot," I hissed.
The dummy attacked again, and I rolled to the side.
I tried to summon blood flames.
The moment I did, the sanctuary rejected it again.
The flames fizzled.
My breath caught.
It was forcing me to use only the skill I unlocked.
Blood Thread Control.
I clenched my teeth.
"Fine," I whispered.
I closed my eyes.
And I focused inward.
I could feel my blood.
Hot.
Restless.
Like a river boiling under my skin.
I imagined it stretching outward.
Not as fire.
As threads.
As strings.
When I opened my eyes, I saw it.
Thin crimson lines glowing faintly in the air.
Blood threads.
They extended from my fingertips like spider silk.
Kael gasped.
"Oh," he whispered. "That is… terrifying."
The dummy lunged again.
I lifted my hand instinctively.
And the threads snapped forward.
They wrapped around the dummy's arm.
The moment the thread touched it, the dummy froze.
Its blade dropped.
Its head jerked upward as if pulled by an invisible force.
My breath caught.
It worked.
I pulled slightly.
The dummy's arm twisted.
Then its entire body turned, facing the opposite direction like a puppet.
Kael's eyes widened.
"You can control it," he whispered.
I did not answer.
Because I could feel the strain already.
The thread vibrated with pressure.
Like it wanted to break.
The Queen's voice whispered.
Do not pull. Command.
I frowned.
Command.
I inhaled slowly.
Then I whispered.
"Kneel."
The dummy's knees bent instantly.
It dropped to the ground.
The sound echoed through the sanctuary.
Kael stared at me like I had just murdered someone.
"Elara," he said slowly, "I swear I will never betray you."
I glared at him.
"You better not," I replied.
Kael nodded quickly.
"Of course. Definitely. Never. Not even in my dreams."
I ignored him.
I focused on the threads.
They were still glowing, wrapped around the dummy like a cage.
The dummy struggled.
But I tightened my grip.
The blood threads pulsed.
The dummy's body trembled.
The Queen's voice whispered.
Finish it.
My eyes narrowed.
I lifted my hand.
The threads tightened.
Then I pulled.
The dummy exploded into crimson mist.
Blood energy scattered across the arena like sparks.
I stepped back, breathing hard.
Sweat ran down my forehead.
My fingers trembled.
That was only Level One.
And I already felt drained.
The sanctuary went silent.
The runes on the floor dimmed.
The seven guards returned to their positions.
Then the floating screen appeared again.
BLOOD THREAD CONTROL: LEVEL ONE
TRAINING COMPLETE
EFFICIENCY: 34 PERCENT
STATUS: IMPROVEMENT REQUIRED
WARNING: BLOOD LOSS DETECTED
Blood loss.
My vision blurred slightly.
I touched my shoulder.
The bite wound had reopened.
Blood seeped through my fingers.
Kael noticed immediately.
"Wait," he said, stepping closer. "You are bleeding."
"I am fine," I muttered.
Kael's expression changed.
His playful attitude faded.
"Elara," he said quietly, "you are not fine. That wound is infected. You are pale."
I clenched my jaw.
The Queen's voice was cold.
Ignore it. Pain is temporary.
But my body did not care about royal pride.
My knees weakened.
I stumbled.
Kael caught me quickly.
"Hey," he snapped. "Do not die. If you die, they will blame me."
I pushed him away weakly.
"I am not dying," I whispered.
Kael stared at me.
Then he suddenly sighed and shook his head.
"You know," he muttered, "I always imagined if I met a powerful noble girl, she would be spoiled, dramatic, and arrogant."
He looked me up and down.
"You are dramatic and arrogant," he added. "But you are also half dead."
I glared at him.
Kael lifted his hands quickly.
"Okay okay," he said. "Do not kill me with blood threads."
I tried to stand straight again.
But my body swayed.
My vision darkened at the edges.
Then the sanctuary spoke again.
Not the screen.
The voice.
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE REQUIRED.
INITIATING RECOVERY CHAMBER.
The floor beneath us glowed.
Kael jumped back.
"Oh no," he said quickly. "No more chambers. No more trials. I am not doing that again."
A section of the wall slid open.
A hidden doorway.
Cold air poured out.
Inside, I saw a small chamber with a stone bed, surrounded by glowing crimson runes. The air smelled like herbs and iron.
The Queen's voice whispered.
That is the recovery chamber. It will heal you. But it will also strengthen the bond between us.
I swallowed.
Strengthen the bond.
Meaning I would feel her more.
Hear her more.
Risk losing myself more.
Kael stared at the chamber, then at me.
"Go inside," he said quickly. "You need help."
I hesitated.
The Queen's voice grew sharper.
If you refuse, you will die before you even leave this sanctuary.
My chest tightened.
I stepped toward the chamber.
Kael followed cautiously.
"Wait," he said. "If you go in there and it kills you, can I take your crown thing and sell it"
I turned my head slowly.
Kael froze.
Then he smiled awkwardly.
"I am joking," he whispered. "Mostly."
I entered the chamber.
The moment my foot crossed the doorway, the runes flared.
The stone bed glowed.
The air grew warm.
Almost comforting.
I lay down slowly.
The moment my back touched the stone, crimson light surged upward like liquid, wrapping around my body like a cocoon.
Kael stepped back instantly.
"Elara," he whispered, voice shaking, "are you sure this is safe"
I wanted to answer.
But my mouth would not move.
The light climbed up my chest.
My arms.
My throat.
My eyes.
Then everything went dark.
But I did not lose consciousness.
Instead, I fell into a vision.
I stood in a palace hall made of crimson marble.
A throne room.
Tall pillars.
A ceiling painted with blood red skies.
And at the end of the hall stood the Queen.
Not as a voice.
Not as a shadow.
As a woman.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Her hair was long and silver like moonlight. Her eyes were crimson and merciless. Her crown was black, dripping with blood.
She stared at me like she had been waiting.
"You are learning," she said.
My throat tightened.
"What do you want from me," I demanded.
The Queen walked closer slowly.
"I want my throne," she replied.
I clenched my fists.
"And what about me," I asked. "What happens when you get it"
The Queen smiled faintly.
A smile with no warmth.
"You will either become me," she said, "or you will be crushed by the weight of my blood."
My heart pounded.
"That is not an answer," I hissed.
The Queen stepped closer.
Her presence was suffocating.
Then she lifted her hand and touched my forehead.
Right where the crown mark was.
Pain exploded.
I screamed.
And suddenly, memories flooded into me.
War.
A battlefield.
A palace burning.
The Blood Council standing in a circle, chanting.
Selene's serpent curse being created.
Lucien's bloodline kneeling before the council.
And a name.
A name carved into my mind like a blade.
Valemont.
My breath caught.
I staggered backward in the vision.
"What is that," I whispered.
The Queen's eyes narrowed.
"The Valemont bloodline is not innocent," she said. "Lucien's family served the council long before your betrayal."
My heart tightened.
I remembered Lucien kneeling.
Not only because of royal pressure.
But because his blood recognized something.
Something old.
Something tied to the Queen.
The Queen's voice lowered.
"He is part of the reason I fell."
My fists trembled.
My hatred flared.
But my confusion flared too.
Lucien.
Was he truly doomed to betray me
Or was he born into betrayal
The Queen stepped back.
"You are awake," she said. "And now your enemies will awaken too."
Her eyes glowed brighter.
"Selene will return," she whispered. "Not as a girl. Not as a friend. But as the serpent's bride."
The words hit me like a curse.
Serpent's bride.
The vision shattered.
I gasped and sat up violently.
The crimson cocoon around my body dissolved into mist.
Kael was standing near the doorway, pacing nervously.
The moment I opened my eyes, he rushed forward.
"Elara," he said quickly. "You were glowing for five minutes. I almost started praying and I do not even pray."
I blinked.
My body felt lighter.
My shoulder wound no longer burned.
I touched it.
The skin had healed completely.
But the scar remained.
A black serpent shaped scar.
A reminder.
The Queen's voice whispered.
The serpent venom has bonded with your blood. It will make you resistant. But it also makes you a target.
I swallowed.
Kael stared at me.
"You look different," he said quietly.
I frowned.
"What do you mean"
Kael hesitated.
Then he pointed at my eyes.
"They are… brighter," he whispered.
I walked toward the reflective wall panel.
And I froze.
My pupils had changed.
Not fully.
But there was a faint crimson ring around them now.
Like the Queen's eyes.
My heart pounded.
I turned back to Kael.
"We need to leave the capital," I said.
Kael nodded quickly.
"Yes," he agreed. "We need to leave everything. Including this cursed underground palace."
I grabbed my cloak.
My bloodline pulsed.
And the floating screen appeared again.
SANCTUARY EXIT AVAILABLE
WARNING: BLOOD HUNTER ACTIVITY DETECTED ABOVE
My jaw tightened.
"They are still searching," I whispered.
Kael cursed softly.
"Of course they are," he muttered. "Nobody ever searches for me like this. Must be nice being famous."
I glared at him.
Kael smiled nervously.
"Bad joke," he whispered.
I stepped toward the exit corridor.
But before I left, I glanced back at the throne.
The sanctuary.
The place that belonged to the Queen.
To me.
This was not just a hiding place.
It was a weapon.
And now I had taken the first step.
Blood Thread Level One.
But I knew the truth.
This was only the beginning.
Because somewhere in the Blood Council's hands…
Selene was being rebuilt.
And the moment she returned…
the entire kingdom would drown in blood.