After discovering the prophecy in the ancient manuscript, she had spent hours rereading the passage, hoping—praying—that she had misunderstood. But no matter how many times her eyes traced over the faded ink, the message remained the same.
Kol Vaelros wasn't just dangerous.
He was destined.
Destined to rule. Destined to destroy. Or…
Destined to choose.
The words haunted her.
"The King of Ruin shall return, marked by the Eternal Crown, carrying the weight of the forgotten bloodline. His rise will bring either unity or destruction. The choice will be his alone."
Lisa had no idea what the Eternal Crown was, but something about it sent a chill through her bones. And the bloodline—what did it mean by "forgotten"? She had studied history. The name Vaelros didn't exist in any official records, yet here it was, buried in an old text like a warning left behind for those willing to see it.
Lisa pressed a hand against her temple. This was insane. It was one thing to feel connected to Kol in ways she didn't understand, but now… now there was something real. Something terrifying.
She needed to confront him.
---
The next day, Lisa scanned the campus courtyard, her heart pounding as she searched for Kol. She knew where he liked to linger—the old stone steps leading up to the abandoned east wing of the academy. It was a place most students avoided, but Kol?
Kol didn't avoid anything.
And sure enough, he was there.
Lisa hesitated when she saw him. He was sitting on the edge of the steps, his elbows resting on his knees, staring at the sky like he was deep in thought. His usual smirk was gone, replaced by something unreadable.
For a moment, she almost turned around.
But she couldn't.
She stepped forward. "Kol."
His golden eyes flicked to her, sharp as a blade. "Lisa."
She swallowed, gripping the book in her hands. "We need to talk."
Kol didn't answer right away. He just stared at her, his gaze searching, as if he could already tell why she was here. Then, with a slow nod, he motioned for her to sit.
Lisa lowered herself onto the step beside him, keeping a careful distance.
She opened the manuscript, her fingers trembling as she pointed at the passage. "Do you know what this means?"
Kol glanced at the text, his expression unreadable. Then, something shifted. His shoulders tensed.
He knew.
Lisa's heart pounded. "Kol, what are you hiding?"
For the first time, he didn't smirk. He didn't play games.
Instead, he exhaled slowly, eyes darkening.
"You shouldn't have found this," he murmured.
Lisa clenched her fists. "But I did. And now I need to know—what are you?"
Kol was silent for a long moment. Then, finally, he spoke.
"A mistake."
Lisa's breath hitched.
Kol stood, his cloak shifting with the wind as he turned his back to her.
"Go home, Lisa," he said, his voice distant. "Forget about this."
But Lisa knew she couldn't.
Because the moment Kol walked away, she saw it.
Peeking from beneath his collar, etched into his skin like a brand—
A mark.
The shape of a crown.
The Eternal Crown.
And in that instant, Lisa knew—
Kol wasn't just connected to the prophecy.
He was the prophecy.