Chapter 27: Elena Words
Eren stared at the figure before him, his mind struggling to process what his eyes were seeing. The forest around them pulsed with unnatural life, shadows moving in ways that defied reason. His breath caught in his throat as he took an instinctive step backward, every instinct screaming danger.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice betraying more fear than he intended. His fingers reached reflexively for a weapon that wasn’t there. "What is this place?"
The woman’s lips curved into a smile that never reached her eyes. The crown of thorns upon her head seemed to writhe with a life of its own, casting strange patterns of shadow across her alabaster features.
"Don’t pretend innocence, child of Moonlight," she replied, her voice resonating oddly in the heavy air, as if speaking through water. "We both know you’ve seen me before. In those... visions of yours."
Eren’s blood turned to ice. He fought to keep his expression neutral, but a muscle jumped in his jaw, betraying his shock. "How could you possibly know about that?"
His mind raced through possibilities—had Naia betrayed his confidence? Had Lyra reported his episodes to others? Or had his mother shared the information with rival kingdoms?
The woman’s laughter was like the tinkling of broken glass. "I know many things that are hidden from others. Just as you do."
She glided closer, the ground beneath her feet blackening as if scorched by her mere presence. Eren held his ground despite every instinct urging him to retreat.
"I am Elena, Queen of Thornvale," she announced, the words carrying the weight of ancient power. "Though I suspect some part of you already knew that."