For a moment—
a terrible, perfect moment—
everything goes silent.
Even the void holds its breath.
Even the Primordial stops speaking.
Even Aiden stops struggling.
Because my wings…
Are changing.
Not fading.
Not burning.
Not breaking.
Changing.
The silver dissolves into gold.
The black dissolves into crimson.
The feathers turn into shimmering shards of starlight—
sharp
glowing
alive.
Three colors swirl across them like a living storm:
Black.
Gold.
Silver.
A trinity.
Moon.
Shadow.
Primordial.
Combined.
But not belonging to any of them.
Belonging to me.
THE PRIMORDIAL REACTS
The Primordial's twelve eyes widen.
Widen more.
And more.
Then narrow—
but not in anger.
In fear.
For the first time, it steps back.
Its voice trembles.
"That… should not be possible."
Aiden coughs against the crushing grip around him, blood dripping from his mouth, but even in agony, his gaze flicks up to me.
And his eyes—
They widen with a strange mix of awe…
and something deeper.
Something like recognition.
"Liyana…"
he whispers, barely audible,
"your wings…"
"What's happening to me?"
The words tumble out of me, trembling.
The Primordial answers before he can.
"You are waking."
My heart stutters.
"No—no, I'm not— I'm not becoming you—"
The Primordial cuts me off sharply.
"You are not becoming me.
You are becoming yourself."
A shiver runs through my entire body.
"Aiden," I choke,
"my wings— they're burning— I can't—"
"Don't panic," he rasps.
"I'm right here—just breathe—"
He's still pinned. Still crushed. Still bleeding.
And still comforting me.
"LET HIM GO!"
I scream at the Primordial.
It doesn't.
But its grip loosens slightly, distracted by my transformation.
My wings stretch wider—
so wide the void itself folds around their shape.
Each feather hums.
Each glow intensifies.
And then—
My wings lock into place with a thunderous ripple.
The shockwave throws the Primordial backward.
The giant hand around Aiden slackens.
He drops free—
falling toward the swirling red-gold floor below.
"AIDEN!!"
I throw myself forward reflexively.
The molten ring around me shatters in a scream of sparks.
My wings jerk me upright.
I catch him mid-fall, arms wrapping around his battered body, pulling him tight against me.
He gasps in pain but still manages:
"Knew… you'd catch me."
Tears spill from my eyes.
"You idiot— you were dying— you almost—"
"Yeah," he whispers.
"But I still came for you."
I bury my face against his shoulder.
For a heartbeat—
just one—
the void forgets to move.
THE PRIMORDIAL SPEAKS AGAIN
The silence breaks.
"Get away from her."
The voice is deeper.
Colder.
Shaking with something it has never felt:
Fear.
Aiden turns his head slowly, eyes glowing faint silver.
"What's the matter?"
he growls weakly.
"Afraid she's stronger than you?"
The Primordial's gaze snaps to him.
"You make her unstable."
He laughs under his breath.
"Good."
The void trembles with fury.
But its twelve eyes keep flicking back to my wings.
"The wings of trinity,"
the Primordial murmurs.
"Light, shadow, and creation fused.
Impossible.
Illogical."
Aiden mutters:
"Beautiful."
I flush.
The Primordial speaks again, sharper.
"She should not exist like this."
"Well," Aiden croaks,
"she does."
The Primordial's eyes darken.
"This is your fault.
The wolf's bond is interfering."
Aiden snaps back:
"Damn right it is."
The Primordial moves forward—
and Aiden instantly pushes me behind him, even though he can barely stand.
"Stay back," he snarls at me.
"I mean it."
"You can't fight it like this—"
"LIKE HELL I CAN'T."
Even half-broken, his voice shakes the void.
I grip his arm.
"Aiden… let me help."
He turns toward me—
and something in his expression softens.
"You already are."
The Primordial interrupts.
"Enough."
It stretches its shifting, massive arms outward.
"I will take her now."
Aiden steps forward.
"No.
You won't."
THE BOND EXPLODES
The void glows red-gold behind the Primordial as its power rises.
But the bond between us suddenly flares so violently that both Aiden and I gasp.
A pulse shoots through my chest.
Like a heartbeat.
But not mine.
Not Aiden's.
A third heartbeat.
A heartbeat made of silver, black, and gold.
Aiden clutches his chest.
"What… what is that…?"
I stagger, wings trembling.
"I—I don't know—"
Another pulse slams outward.
The Primordial stops moving.
Its eyes widen.
"No…"
Aiden growls:
"What is happening?!"
The Primordial speaks slowly—
almost horrified.
"…your bond."
"What about it?" I demand.
"It is mutating."
My blood freezes.
"What does that mean?!"
The Primordial hesitates.
Then:
"Two beings can form a bond.
A third cannot."
Aiden frowns painfully.
"Third…?"
I whisper:
"Aiden… me… and… who?"
The Primordial's gaze lands on my wings.
"Not who.
What."
My breath catches.
"My wings…?"
"Her new core."
The Primordial's voice shakes.
"Her awakening essence.
Her power is bonding to you both."
Aiden freezes.
"You mean—she's forming a bond with me AND her power?!"
"YES," the Primordial snarls.
"And that is forbidden."
Aiden grins, bloody and tired.
"Sounds like her."
I hit his shoulder lightly.
"Not helping!"
"Sorry," he wheezes.
The Primordial raises all of its hands.
"You two together create disruption.
A force I cannot control.
A force the gods cannot control.
A force that will break every law of the realms."
Aiden snorts:
"Good."
The Primordial's eyes narrow to slits.
"I will unmake the wolf now."
Aiden shoves me back.
"Stay behind me."
"No!" I grab him. "You can't—Aiden, you CAN'T fight that alone—"
He turns his head.
And whispers:
"Moonlight…
I'll always fight for you."
My heart stops.
Before I can speak—
A dozen massive hands slam toward him.
Aiden braces—
But suddenly—
My wings move on their own.
They snap outward with a boom like thunder.
A shield of swirling gold-black-silver erupts in front of us—
a dome of impossible light.
The Primordial's strike hits the shield—
AND FAILS.
The blow melts into light.
The swirling dome absorbs every fragment of power—
and then—
It throws the energy BACK.
A violent shockwave EXPLODES outward.
The Primordial is hurled backward through its own realm.
Aiden and I stand in the center of the storm—
untouched.
My wings hum with a power that terrifies even me.
Aiden stares at me—
Eyes wide.
Voice trembling.
"Liyana… what are you?"
I swallow hard.
"I don't know."
Behind us—
the void shakes.
The Primordial rises again, slower this time,
shaken.
And the chapter ends with:
The Primordial whispering one word—
a word even Aiden doesn't understand—
as it stares at Liyana's wings:
"Ascendant."