The road to the Hidden City wasn't carved into the earth—it was etched into memory and blood. Nate whispered the spell that would part the veil, and the world shimmered before them like a mirage rippling over stone.
Amber's breath caught as the forest fell away, revealing a city carved into the side of a massive cliff. Cascading waterfalls glowed with bioluminescent magic, illuminating bridges of crystal and winding staircases that defied gravity. Towers spiraled upward like living trees, their tops crowned with flame and light.
"Welcome to Virelan," Nate murmured. "The city of those who don't belong."
Amber stepped forward, her heart hammering. Magic throbbed beneath her skin as if the city itself recognized her. Whispered voices echoed in her mind—nothing she could understand, but old and urgent.
People watched them as they entered. Cloaked figures with glowing eyes. Children weaving spells into the air like silk. Old women with runes carved into their skin. All of them turned toward Amber with something like awe… or fear.
"They know," she whispered. "They can feel it."
Nate walked beside her, his hand brushing hers. "They've been waiting for someone like you. Most of them thought it was a myth."
She stopped, turning to face him. "And what do you think?"
He looked at her like she was the only thing that made sense. "I think you're real. And powerful. And dangerous. But I'm still not afraid."
Amber didn't answer. Because she was.
A figure emerged from one of the crystal towers—tall, regal, draped in dark blue robes stitched with golden thread. Her eyes were a pale violet that shimmered like starlight.
"Nathaniel," the woman said, voice crisp and cool. "You bring us a storm."
Nate bowed. "High Seer Lysara. This is Amber."
Lysara's gaze pinned Amber in place. "She burns."
Amber squared her shoulders. "I came here for answers."
"You'll get them," Lysara said, turning on her heel. "Whether you like them or not."
---
They followed the High Seer into the inner sanctum—a chamber beneath the city, carved from obsidian, its walls pulsing faintly with trapped magic. A pool of silver liquid sat in the center, swirling like a living mirror.
"This place is a memory," Lysara said. "One kept alive by sacrifice and silence."
Amber stepped closer. "Tell me what I am."
Lysara extended her hand. "Touch the pool. Let it show you."
Nate grabbed Amber's arm gently. "You don't have to do this yet."
She met his eyes. "I need to know."
Her fingers brushed the surface of the pool—and the world fell away.
She saw flashes: a woman cloaked in fire, standing atop a battlefield soaked in blood. A circle of men in robes, binding her with chains of light. A scream—hers, but not hers—as the earth cracked beneath her feet. Then darkness. Silence. Rebirth.
Amber gasped and fell back. Nate caught her.
"She was real," Amber choked. "The woman Kael mentioned. She was like me."
"She was more than like you," Lysara said. "She was you. A soul reborn."
Amber's blood turned to ice.
"You carry the mark of the Phoenix Queen," Lysara continued. "A being not made of this world, but tied to it by flame and fate. Every few centuries, she returns—born again. We thought you had more time."
Amber staggered back. "I don't want to be a queen. I didn't choose this."
"No," Lysara said softly. "But it chose you."
Amber turned to Nate. "Did you know?"
He looked shaken. "I suspected. But this... I didn't want it to change anything."
"It changes everything," she said, voice trembling. "I'm not just powerful—I'm hunted. Again."
"Amber—"
"I need air," she whispered, and left before he could follow.
---
The balcony overlooking the lower city was cold, the wind sharp with magic. Amber leaned on the railing, struggling to breathe. Everything she thought she knew about herself had shattered. She didn't just carry magic—she carried history. Expectation. A legacy of fire and war.
A shadow moved behind her.
"I said I needed space," she said, not turning around.
"I'm not Nate," came the low voice.
She spun. Kael leaned against a pillar, half-shrouded in smoke, as if the city itself tried to keep him out.
"You're not supposed to be here."
"I'm not welcome anywhere," he said with a smirk. "Besides, you're the only one worth breaking rules for."
Amber backed away. "Get out."
Kael stepped forward. "You saw it, didn't you? Your past. Your power."
She clenched her fists. "You knew who I was."
"Of course I did. I've been looking for you for centuries."
"Why?" she hissed.
"Because the world is broken," he said, his voice softening. "And you're the only one who can burn it down and rebuild it."
"I'm not your weapon."
"No," he said, reaching out. "You're a flame. And flames don't ask permission to burn."
Something inside her pulsed—dark, hot, and tempting. The same part Kael had touched in the forest.
"I should kill you," she whispered.
"But you won't," he said, his voice brushing her like silk. "Because part of you understands. Part of you wants the power I offer."
Her mark flared on her wrist—blazing, aching.
Then Nate was there.
He didn't shout. He didn't attack. He simply looked at Kael with quiet fury. "Leave."
Kael smiled. "Careful, Nate. She's already slipping through your fingers."
And just like that, he vanished.
Amber turned to Nate, trembling. "He got inside again. I don't know how."
"Because the bond between you and him isn't broken," Nate said. "His magic still lingers. We need to sever it."
Amber stared at him. "How?"
He hesitated. "By deepening ours."
She swallowed. "You mean—"
"Yes," he said. "Fully. Completely. No barriers."
Her pulse thundered. "Tonight?"
"If you'll have me."
She looked into his eyes—dark and steady. "Come to me after the moon rises."
As he walked away, Amber turned back toward the city. She could still feel Kael's touch like a shadow behind her ribs. But Nate's love was a fire too.