Page 148 of The Stolen Kingdom

Something was different.

His hair—once streaked with silver—was darker now, the gray retreating into deep, familiar hues. His scar was gone. His skin, once marked by the passage of time, looked unblemished.

Valda’s pulse pounded in her ears as she took a hesitant step forward.

Slowly, Arwin rose. His movements were unsteady, unnatural, as if adjusting to a body that wasn’t entirely his own. A soft, purple light pulsed on his forehead—a straight line intersected by two semicircles.

The symbol of Eris glowed steadily on his skin.

Valda’s grip on the Heaven Sword tightened.

She turned to Maris, whose wide, disbelieving eyes met hers. The same thought echoed between them.

Who was this man?

Arwin?

Eris?

Valda swallowed down her unease and took another step forward, raising her sword.

“I should challenge you to a duel,” she said, her voice steady despite the storm in her chest. “But we both know you are not the rightful king.”

Arwin remained motionless except for the faint crease in his brow. “I once challenged your father to a duel,” he murmured, his fingers tracing the place where his scar had once been. “He didn’t finish the job.”

Valda’s grip on her sword tightened. “I am not my father.”

Arwin’s lips curled into something almost amused. “Oh, you certainly are not.” His voice twisted, warping into something unnatural. “And neither am I.”

His body convulsed.

Valda instinctively stepped back, colliding with Maris. Her breath hitched as the man before her shifted, his features contorting.

In a flash, her father stood in Arwin’s place.

A cruel, knowing smile stretched across the familiar face. A bright white glow replaced the violet hue on his forehead, and there, seared into his skin, was the unmistakable symbol of Ouranos.

“Wouldn’t it be fitting,” he mused, his voice dripping with malice, “if your father’s face was the last thing you ever saw?”

It had been years since she saw her father’s face, and even though she could recognize it in a crowd, the mask Arwin wore did her father no justice.

How fucking dare he use his image to gain advantage? Anger bubbled deep within her, fogging all logical thought, pushing her to act without thinking it through. Valda knew she couldn’t do that with Arwin. He knew how she would react; he knew her every single move.

“Or would you rather—” His voice heightened, as dark hair grew from his head. His neck elongated and features became feminine. Rionach looked back at Valda with a broken face, bleeding from the mouth, and dark marks bruising her neck. “My dear girl. Come join me in Tartarus.”

Inhaling sharply,Valda drew the surrounding air into a swirling vortex. The fatigue in her muscles was long forgotten. The gusts picked up the debris and sent it flying around them. Maris moved behind her, looking for shelter as Cerberus hid between her ankles.

Valda’s eyes narrowed, locking onto Arwin’s every subtle movement. Valda’s chest heaved with each tense breath as she steadied herself. She would not allow Arwin to get in her head.

Without warning, Valda lunged forward, raising her blade high before slashing through the air. Transforming back to himself, Arwin met her strike effortlessly, the clash of their swords sounding like a thunderclap as sparks flew.

Gritting her teeth and cursing the fact that he knew her every move, she swung her sword in wide arcs, trying to break through Arwin’s defense, but he welcomed each move with fluid motions.

With a sudden burst of speed, Valda unleashed a powerful gust of wind, sending Arwin stumbling backward. She seized the opportunity to strike harder, faster, trying to break through everything he taught her.

He met Valda’s onslaught with his own attacks. The clash of their swords sent shockwaves through the ground, rippling through the air with tension. As Arwin pushed against the sword, she felt a pull within her chest. Maris wanted to join her and fight, but not yet. Not fucking yet.

“Stay back!” Valda roared, her muscles bulging underneath her tattered blouse as the explosion of wind burst from within her this time. It didn’t push Arwin off of her.

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