Claire's breath caught in her throat.
The Hall of Records was silent—too silent—its ancient scrolls humming faintly with the power of generations. She stood frozen as the truth unfolded before her eyes. The Celestial Archivist's voice echoed in the dome:
"Two sisters born of the Radiant Line. One remained faithful.The other walked the path of forbidden power.The legacy divides here."
A shimmering projection rose from the center of the chamber, revealing two young women—identical in beauty, but not in presence.
One radiated warmth, her aura bright like sunlight breaking through clouds.
The other… her eyes sharp, cunning, burning with ambition and buried jealousy.
Amila's mother.
And Lady Seraphine.
Claire felt the world tilt.Her heart hammered.
"Seraphine… is my aunt?"
The Archivist bowed his head slowly."By blood, yes. By spirit, no."
Claire staggered back, hands shaking.
Amila stepped closer, placing a steady hand on her shoulder. "Claire… Claire, breathe."
But Claire couldn't.Because suddenly everything—her nightmares, her instincts, her strange resistance to dark magic—began to make sense.
The Archivist continued:
"Lady Seraphine was born Seraphiel of the Radiant House.When she betrayed her people and practiced the forbidden arts,she was exiled.Upon her banishment, she shed her birth name and her face…becoming the woman you know today."
Claire swallowed hard. "So… the name Seraphiel was her true name?"
"Yes. And the name 'Lady Seraphine' is the mask she forged after her fall."
Amila exhaled deeply. "That means… she didn't just want power. She wanted to steal the legacy of her own bloodline."
Claire's voice was barely a whisper."She married my father… because he had heavenly faith. Because she wanted a child who could inherit what she wasn't worthy of."
"Correct," the Archivist said. "But destiny chose differently. It chose you."
Claire felt her pulse thrum with a strange, growing energy—something awakened by the truth.
"What about Amila's mother?" Claire asked. "What happened to her after Seraphiel was banished?"
The Archivist turned his glowing eyes toward them.
"She remained loyal. But she never knew her sister would one day hunt her."
Amila inhaled sharply.
"Now she knows," the Archivist said solemnly."She has returned to the clan. She trains night and day… preparing for the coming war."
Amila felt a chill slide down her spine.
"My mother… is fighting again?"
"Yes," the Archivist replied. "Because she knows Lady Seraphine will not stop until she destroys both of you—her daughter… and her niece."
A tremor of fear and fury ran through Claire.
She clenched her fists."She wants the Radiant Power for herself. That's why she's after us. That's why she tried to kill us."
"That is correct," the Archivist confirmed. "Seraphiel cannot create heavenly faith. She can only corrupt. And so she seeks to steal yours."
Amila stepped forward, her voice steady:
"Then she should have chosen a different family to betray."
The ground beneath them vibrated, and a new projection rose—a glowing map of realms, with two points pulsing like stars:
One—where the Radiant Clan was gathering.One—where Lady Seraphine was building her forces.
And between them…
A collision path.
Claire looked at Amila, heart pounding.
"Amila… our mothers. They're going to war against each other."
Amila's jaw tightened."No. They're going to war because of what Seraphiel became."
The Archivist lifted his staff.
"You must choose.Will you face the darkness that hunts your bloodlines?Or flee from the legacy that calls to you?"
Claire stepped forward, voice trembling but fierce.
"We fight."
Amila nodded. "Together."
The Archivist's eyes glowed brighter.
"Then prepare. For the battle of your bloodlines will reshape the destiny of the living and the fallen."