The moment Selene surrendered to the ice within, the world around her shifted.
A deafening crack split the air, as if the very foundation of the realm was fracturing beneath the weight of her decision. The cold that pulsed from her was unlike anything she had ever felt before—not just frost, not just winter, but something deeper. Something primordial.
Lucian staggered back, his golden eyes wide with shock. "Selene…"
He wasn't afraid. Not of her.
But of what was happening to her.
Elaris, however, smiled. "Good."
The mist swirled around them, drawn toward Selene like a storm bowing to its queen. The ground beneath her feet was no longer mere ice—it was a void of shimmering frost, endless and unyielding.
And she felt it.
Every snowflake.
Every gust of wind.
Every breath of winter that had ever existed, whispering secrets only she could hear.
For the first time, the ice didn't feel like a curse.
It felt like a crown.
Elaris tilted his head, studying her. "I have waited for this."
Selene's voice was steady, but the power beneath it was anything but. "You speak as if you had a hand in this."
Elaris chuckled. "Oh, I did. I have been guiding you toward this moment from the very beginning."
Lucian snarled. "Liar."
Elaris didn't even spare him a glance. His attention was locked on Selene, his golden eyes gleaming with something dangerously close to admiration.
"You were always meant to be more than just the Winter Court's princess," he murmured. "More than just a queen. You are something new. Something… pure."
Selene's fingers curled into fists. "You don't control me."
"I don't need to." Elaris's smile deepened. "You are already becoming what you were always meant to be."
The air thickened, the frost growing denser. Snowflakes danced around Selene's hands, forming intricate patterns in the air. She could feel it—her magic was different now. Wilder. More vast than ever before.
But beneath the power, something else stirred.
A question.
Had this always been inside her?
Or had Elaris truly been leading her toward it all along?
Lucian stepped forward, his flames flickering weakly against the crushing cold. "Selene, listen to me. Whatever this is, you are in control."
Selene turned to him. The concern in his gaze was undeniable, but there was something else beneath it—trust.
He wasn't afraid of what she was becoming.
He just didn't want her to lose herself in it.
Elaris sighed, almost disappointed. "Such fragile devotion."
He flicked his wrist, and the mist surged toward Lucian.
Selene moved.
Faster than thought, faster than she had ever moved before. The ice beneath her carried her forward, an extension of her will.
She raised a single hand, and the mist froze mid-air.
Lucian let out a breath of relief.
Elaris raised an eyebrow. "Fascinating."
Selene turned to him, her expression unreadable. "Enough."
For the first time, a flicker of uncertainty crossed Elaris's face.
Selene lifted her other hand.
And the ice answered.
The ground beneath Elaris erupted, jagged shards of ice surging upward like crystalline spears. The temperature plummeted further, frost creeping along the air itself.
Elaris moved, faster than a shadow, barely escaping as the ice carved through the battlefield. But Selene was already anticipating him.
She struck again.
And again.
Each movement was effortless, instinctual. The ice no longer fought her—it was her.
Elaris dodged, but Selene could see it now—he wasn't invincible. He was fast, yes, but for the first time since this battle had begun…
He was retreating.
Lucian saw it too. He didn't waste the opportunity.
Flames exploded from his hands, colliding with Selene's ice. The fire didn't melt it. The ice didn't extinguish the flames.
Instead, for the first time, they moved together.
Selene's frost carved a path through the battlefield. Lucian's fire sealed it in place, forcing Elaris to move where they wanted him to go.
Elaris's smirk faded.
"You think you've won?" he mused, flicking his wrist. The mist around him thickened. "You think—"
Selene didn't let him finish.
She clenched her fist.
The mist froze solid.
Elaris barely had time to react before a jagged column of ice burst from the ground, slamming into his chest with brutal force. His body was thrown backward, crashing into the frozen remains of the battlefield.
For the first time, Elaris stayed down.
Selene exhaled slowly.
Lucian stepped beside her, still breathing hard. "Is he…?"
Elaris groaned, shifting slightly. "Alive," he muttered, coughing. "Unfortunately."
Lucian scowled. "You won't be for long."
Selene placed a hand on Lucian's arm. "No."
Lucian looked at her, eyes burning with fire. "Selene, he—"
"I know," she murmured. "But killing him won't change what's happened."
Elaris chuckled weakly. "Wise words."
Lucian's jaw tightened.
Selene stepped forward, meeting Elaris's gaze. "You wanted me to break," she said quietly. "But I didn't."
Elaris smirked despite his injuries. "Didn't you?"
Selene hesitated.
Something about the way he said it made her uneasy.
Elaris pushed himself up slightly, wincing. "You think you've won. You think your power is yours now." He chuckled. "But tell me, princess… do you still recognize yourself?"
Selene's pulse pounded.
She didn't answer.
Elaris smiled. "We'll meet again."
And then—
He vanished.
The mist that had frozen solid shattered into nothingness, leaving only silence in its wake.
Lucian cursed under his breath. "Coward."
Selene exhaled shakily, her fingers trembling.
She had won.
But at what cost?
Lucian turned to her, his expression softening. "Selene?"
She looked at him, searching for an answer.
The ice inside her was still there. Still thrumming. Still waiting.
Lucian reached for her hand, his warmth grounding her.
She squeezed his fingers gently.
For now, she was still Selene.
But a part of her wondered…
For how much longer?