The air in the alleyway was thick with the scent of herbs and incense as Levi Rose and Prairie Smith made their way toward the entrance of the underground market. The city's hustle and bustle had faded behind them, replaced by a world that seemed suspended in time—a place where the veil between the magical and the mundane was thin, a place where ancient secrets were bought and sold in the shadows.
Levi's fingers twitched at her sides, her senses heightened as they stepped into the dimly lit cavernous space. Hundreds of stalls lined the narrow path, each vendor offering strange, glittering trinkets, enchanted talismans, and mystical potions. The air was thick with magic—alive and pulsing with ancient energy that made Levi's blood hum in response.
Prairie glanced around nervously, her eyes wide as she took in the strange sights. A creature with glowing, amber eyes passed them, and a cloaked figure muttered an incantation to an unlit lantern. Prairie shivered, her instincts telling her to get out of there, but something in Levi's determined stride kept her rooted to the spot.
"This place…" Prairie began, her voice low, "It feels wrong. Like we shouldn't be here."
Levi's gaze flicked to the stalls around them, her own unease buried beneath a thick veil of curiosity. "It's the only place where we can find answers. If there's anything left about Eloria's bloodline, it's here."
They pressed on, weaving through the crowd, as creatures of all kinds—humans, demons, and witches—went about their business. Levi wasn't sure how she knew, but she could feel the weight of the attention on her. The market wasn't just a place of trade; it was a place of secrets. And Levi had always been drawn to secrets.
"Over here," Levi murmured, guiding Prairie toward a stall tucked away in a corner. The sign above the entrance read, "Koryn Blackthorn, Oracle of the Smoke." It was a name that Levi had heard whispered in the darker corners of the magical community—an oracle who specialized in visions, prophecies, and magic far older than anything Levi had encountered before.
As they approached, the stall seemed to shimmer in and out of existence, like it wasn't quite real. The smoke in the air thickened, swirling around them in tendrils that made it difficult to see clearly. A tall figure stepped forward from behind a curtain of swirling mist—a man with striking features and eyes that glowed a pale green, as though they contained ancient stars within them.
He wore a long coat of midnight blue, embroidered with strange symbols, and his silver hair fell in waves around his shoulders. The air around him seemed to hum with an otherworldly power. Koryn Blackthorn. The Oracle of Smoke.
"You're the ones who've been seeking me," Koryn said, his voice a low, melodic drawl, like a song sung in a forgotten language. He studied them with an intensity that made Levi's skin prickle. "Levi Rose and Prairie Smith. It's not often I receive visitors like you. Not often, indeed."
Levi's heart skipped a beat. He knew them. He had known who they were before they even spoke a word. Her eyes narrowed, but she kept her voice steady. "We're looking for information. About Eloria. About her bloodline. There's a prophecy."
Koryn's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Ah, yes. The prophecy. The one that says the witch born in crimson will awaken the broken hour. You seek the answers to your bloodline's fate."
Prairie looked at Levi, confusion clouding her features. "How do you know about that? And what does it mean? What is the 'broken hour'?"
Koryn stepped closer, the air around him thickening as though time itself had slowed. "The 'broken hour' is a moment in time when the veil between worlds shatters. When the balance of magic is tipped, and something ancient, something forgotten, is awakened. It's a time when the witch born in crimson will either break the cycle of destruction or usher in the chaos of a new world. Your role, Levi Rose, is written in the stars. But it is not set in stone. You have a choice—one that will shape the fate of all magic."
Levi's heart pounded in her chest. This was bigger than anything she had imagined. "What does that mean for me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Koryn's gaze deepened, and his smile faded into something more solemn. "It means you're at the crossroads of destiny, child. Your bloodline is entwined with forces older than you can comprehend. Forces that will either use you as a weapon—or fall to you as a broken empire. The choice lies in your hands."
Prairie stepped forward, her voice skeptical. "And what do you get from all this, Koryn Blackthorn? What's your angle?"
The oracle's smile returned, but this time it was tinged with a hint of mystery. "I get what I always get—knowledge. And in my line of work, knowledge is the most valuable currency. You may find my help useful, or you may not. But the future you seek is not something you can walk away from once you've opened the door."
Levi felt a knot tighten in her stomach. She was in deeper than she'd realized, and there was no going back now.
"How do we stop it?" Levi asked, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging inside her.
Koryn's eyes glinted with a dangerous understanding. "To stop the broken hour? You'll need to learn what Eloria couldn't finish. The magic she unleashed, the consequences of her bloodline—everything is tied to you, Levi. But be warned: the more you uncover, the more you'll attract those who wish to see you destroyed."
Levi took a deep breath. There was no turning back now. "We're ready," she said, her voice filled with determination.
Koryn studied her for a long moment, then nodded, his expression unreadable. "Very well. But remember, Levi Rose, not all knowledge is meant to be found. Not all power is meant to be wielded. Choose wisely."
With that, Koryn reached behind his stall and retrieved a small, intricately carved box. He placed it before Levi, his gaze fixed on her as though weighing the significance of her next move. "This," he said, "is a key. Use it when the time comes. But only when you're ready to face what lies behind it."
Levi's fingers brushed against the box, a shiver running through her. She could feel the weight of fate pressing down on her, and she knew, deep down, that she had just stepped into a much larger world than she had ever imagined.
The smoke thickened, swirling around the edges of the stall as Koryn Blackthorn disappeared into the shadows, leaving Levi and Prairie standing in front of the small, carved box that pulsed with unseen power. The weight of his words still hung heavy in the air, but before Levi could reach for the box, a new figure stepped out from behind the curtain of mist.
He was tall, with silver hair that cascaded down his back in waves. His skin was pale, almost translucent, and his eyes—strangely unearthly—were the color of storm clouds before the rain. His gaze seemed to pierce through her, reading her like an open book, his presence as unnerving as it was magnetic.
"I see the prophecy has found you at last," he said, his voice soft but heavy with meaning.
Levi's heart skipped a beat. This wasn't Koryn. This was someone else entirely.
"And who are you?" Prairie asked, her voice laced with caution.
"I am Ansel Virell," the man said, his eyes never leaving Levi. "An oracle. One who has glimpsed the threads of time, and I've seen yours. It is tangled, bound in flame and shadow. The bloodline of Eloria calls out to you, and I fear it is not the future you imagine."
Levi felt a chill run down her spine, a sense of foreboding flooding her veins. She had barely begun to grasp the weight of her connection to Eloria, and now this oracle—someone who claimed to see the future—was here to reveal even more. She braced herself.
"What do you mean?" Levi asked, her voice steady despite the rising panic inside.
Ansel stepped closer, his presence like a heavy fog that surrounded her. "You will burn through time," he said cryptically, his voice low and ominous. "The curse of your bloodline is not just one of magic—it is one of time itself. Eloria's death did not end the legacy. It simply locked it away, waiting for the right moment. And that moment is now."
Prairie looked between Levi and Ansel, confusion clouding her features. "Burn through time? What does that mean?"
Ansel's eyes flicked to Prairie, then back to Levi. "You may not understand yet, but you will. Your destiny is far more complicated than simply wielding magic. You are a vessel, a conduit through which time itself will unravel. Your bloodline carries the power to alter the course of history—and to unravel the present."
Levi swallowed hard, a wave of dread washing over her. She wanted to ask more, to demand answers, but a strange pressure was building inside her chest. It was as if the very air was thick with the weight of Ansel's words, and for the first time, she felt truly afraid of what she was becoming.
Ansel stepped closer, his gaze darkening with an intensity that made the room feel even colder. "But be warned, Levi Rose," he continued, his tone low, almost a whisper, "the more you use this power, the more you will burn. Time is fragile, and so are you. The cost of wielding it will be greater than you can imagine. For every moment you steal from the past, you give up a piece of the present."
Levi's breath hitched, her pulse quickening. She could feel something stirring inside her, something powerful but dangerous. Her connection to Eloria was not just a gift; it was a curse, one that would draw her into a web of tangled fates and fractured timelines.
"What do I do?" Levi asked, her voice barely audible.
Ansel smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming with an eerie wisdom. "You will have to decide when the time comes. Whether to burn through time, or to let it burn you. It is a choice that will shape the fate of everything. Your past, your future, and all that lies in between."
With that, Ansel turned and disappeared into the mist, leaving Levi and Prairie alone, their minds swirling with the weight of his prophecy.
Levi's fingers twitched, a nervous energy sparking through her. She wasn't sure what Ansel meant, but the words "burn through time" echoed in her mind, a warning she could not ignore.
Prairie reached out, placing a hand on Levi's arm. "What do we do now?" she asked, her voice a mix of fear and uncertainty.
Levi stared at the box Koryn had left for her, her gaze flickering between it and the shadows where Ansel had vanished. "We move forward," she said, her voice filled with determination. "There's no turning back now."
Levi's thoughts swirled, but Prairie's voice brought her back to the present.
"We need to figure out what this means—before it's too late," Prairie said, her voice steady but laced with worry.
Levi nodded absently, but her attention drifted elsewhere. As she walked out of the underground market with Prairie, her senses sharpened, the air thick with a strange tension. Rue's presence was unmistakable, even if she couldn't see him. She had grown accustomed to his scent, that faint trace of earth and smoke that clung to him, and now it hung in the air like an unspoken promise.
Prairie was already deep in thought, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the edges of a torn map she had found in the market. Levi, on the other hand, could feel the pull of Rue's energy, the weight of his gaze in the distance, even though she hadn't seen him. His dark, brooding presence always seemed to linger, especially in moments like this.
Rue stepped out from the shadows near an alleyway, his expression unreadable as he observed the two women walking away. He had been following them, silent and unnoticed, ever since they had left the Oracle's lair. He knew Levi would be drawn into something bigger than she realized, something far more dangerous than she could handle alone.
"Levi," Rue's voice was low, smooth, like velvet and steel. "I need to speak with you."
Levi stopped, the familiar shiver of electricity running through her veins at the sound of his voice. She turned to face him, noting the slight shift in his posture. There was something more urgent, more calculating in the way he carried himself tonight.
"What's going on, Rue?" she asked, though she suspected she already knew.
Rue stepped closer, his gaze flicking briefly to Prairie before locking with Levi's. "We need to talk in private," he murmured. "This isn't something for curious ears."
Prairie raised an eyebrow but didn't protest. She had come to trust Rue, despite his demonic nature. She knew that his concern for Levi wasn't just some passing whim—it ran deeper than that. Still, she wasn't naïve, and the tension between Rue and Levi was palpable, a dance of words and emotions they both tried to hide.
As Rue led them toward a more secluded alley, Levi couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change between them—something significant. The air seemed to hum with anticipation, as if even the city itself sensed the shift.
Once they were far enough away from any prying eyes, Rue finally spoke, his voice low and almost imperceptible. "I need to make a deal with you, Levi. With Scout, too. Something's coming—something far worse than anything you've seen so far. And you're going to need protection."
Levi stiffened. "What kind of protection?"
Rue's eyes gleamed in the dim light, dark and unreadable. "The kind that only Scout can offer. And I'm willing to make sure it happens—no matter the cost."
Levi narrowed her eyes. "Scout?" She had no idea what Rue was getting at.
Rue sighed, clearly frustrated with her lack of understanding. "You don't get it, do you? Scout has ties to the darker parts of this world. The world that's hunting you right now. The same world I'm tied to, but I can't do this alone. He owes me. And I intend to collect."
Levi's heart skipped a beat. "Owes you?"
Rue nodded. "It's complicated. But what matters is that I'm offering you something—something that will make sure you're safe while you figure out how to stop this prophecy from consuming you. Scout will be part of that deal."
Levi glanced back at Prairie, who was standing a few feet away, her eyes thoughtful but full of concern. It was clear Prairie didn't know all the details either, but Levi could tell she trusted Rue in a way that Levi didn't yet. Still, there was something in Rue's gaze now—a depth of sincerity she hadn't seen before. It unsettled her.
"What's the catch?" Levi asked, her voice sharp.
Rue paused before answering, his eyes flashing in the darkness. "There's always a cost. But this... this is the only way you'll survive what's coming. Scout and I will protect you, but the price is heavy. You'll owe a favor. A big one."
Levi hesitated, her mind racing with the implications. She didn't trust Rue completely, but she had no choice. Something far worse than she could understand was brewing, and she couldn't face it alone. Not with the forces gathering against her.
She finally nodded. "Fine. We have a deal. But what exactly are we preparing for?"
Rue's expression softened just a fraction, but his voice was serious. "War. And the last thing you want is to be caught in the middle of it with no one to watch your back."t