Shadows of Change (Arcanum Academy #1)

70. Kaia

Am I dying?

The thought floats through my mind, strangely peaceful. But this is not the silence of defeat, it's something deeper. A stillness settles over me like a warm blanket, lifting the weight of the wraiths' presence. The arena fades away, replaced by soft, golden light. In that light, I see them.

My mother stands before me, her golden hair shimmering like captured sunlight, and beside her, my father's tall figure radiates strength and warmth. But they're not alone. Behind them, I see other figures translucent but distinct. Warriors in ancient armor, their forms flickering between light and shadow. I recognize them, not from memory, but from soul-deep knowing. All of them, the sisters who chose to become my shadows.

"Kaia," my mother says, her voice like a melody my heart will never forget. She steps closer, and the warmth of her touch feels so real it threatens to break me. "You've been fighting so hard to protect them. To protect everyone."

"I can't—" My voice cracks. "They've already given everything for me. I can't ask for more."

"Oh, my darling." She cups my face in her hands. "They didn't bind their souls to be your burden. They chose to become part of something greater. Part of you."

My father moves closer, his presence steady and grounding. The Valkyries behind him shift, their forms becoming clearer. "They didn't sacrifice themselves to be your guardians, Kaia. They sacrificed themselves to become your strength."

"I don't understand." Tears sting my eyes as I look at the warriors—my shadows, my sisters. "How am I supposed to fight without losing more?"

"By accepting what they freely gave." My mother's own shadows float around her feet, but they move differently than mine—not as servants or even partners, but as part of her very essence. "By completing what they began."

"Watch," my father says softly. The Valkyries step forward, each one distinct now. I see Bob's fierce loyalty in the stance of a tall warrior with determined eyes. Patricia's wisdom shines in another's careful movements. Finnick's spark lives in a third's ready grin. Linda's gentle healing spirit glows in a fourth, while Carl and Steve's synchronized energy pulses from two warriors standing shoulder to shoulder. At the edge of the group stands another presence, barely visible, that sends a wave of tranquility through my chest.

"We chose this," they speak as one, their voices echoing with power and purpose. "We chose you."

My mother's hand presses against my chest, where the Heart of Eternity pulses with growing warmth. "This isn't just a source of power or a connection to the past. It's the promise they made—every one of them. Not to serve, but to become."

"The wings you feel stirring?" My father's voice deepens with emotion. "They carry the essence of every Valkyrie who chose to bind their soul to yours. Who chose to make their power yours."

Understanding floods through me like warm sunlight. All this time, I've been trying to protect them, to keep them separate, to treat them as guardians. But they didn't bind their souls to me to be protected. They did it to become part of something new—something that had never existed before.

"You're not just my shadows," I whisper, finally understanding. "You never were. You're..."

"We're your sisters," they say together, their forms beginning to fade into familiar shadow. "And we've been waiting centuries for you to truly join us."

The golden light grows brighter, but I'm not ready to let go. "Wait—there's so much more I need to know—"

"You know everything you need to." My father's voice begins to fade. "The rest, you'll learn together. All of you."

"We love you," my mother whispers. "We're so proud of who you've become. Of who you're becoming."

"Rise," they say together as the light becomes blinding. The Valkyries step forward, their forms melding back into shadow—but now I feel each one, know each one. "Rise, and remember exactly who you are."

My eyes snap open to find the wraiths still circling, their claws poised for the final strike. But something has changed. The Heart of Eternity burns against my chest, no longer weakly pulsing but blazing with fulfilled promise. My shadows—my sisters—pause in their defense, feeling the shift.

The wraiths hesitate, their hollow eyes flickering with something that might be fear. They can feel it too—the change in the air, the surge of power that feels both ancient and new.

I rise, but my feet don't touch the ground. Power courses through me, not as something to be controlled but as something shared between souls who chose each other. The Heart flares brighter, and suddenly I understand what it's been trying to tell me all along.

This isn't about borrowing power. It's about becoming what we were always meant to be.

The transformation hits like a thunderclap. Wings burst from my back in a rush of searing heat and blinding light. The pain is excruciating but pure, like breaking through a barrier that was never meant to hold. Every nerve ending screams as the wings unfurl—massive and glorious, glowing with a radiant blend of violet, gold and shadow. Their edges ripple with the essence of every Valkyrie who chose to bind their soul to mine.

But it's more than just wings. My sisters surge around me, no longer holding back. Bob's steadfast courage becomes my shield, his military precision guiding my stance. Patricia's ancient wisdom flows through my thoughts, while Finnick's undimmed spirit fuels my determination. Each one shares not just their power, but their very essence—everything they chose to become when they bound themselves to me.

The Heart of Eternity thrums in perfect time with our unified heartbeat, each pulse carrying the weight of a promise finally fulfilled. This is what it means to be a Valkyrie—not to command powers or souls, but to rise together.

The wraiths falter, their forms flickering as I spread my wings wide. The light that radiates from them isn't just light—it's truth. The perfect balance of shadow and radiance, of sacrifice and strength, of past and future.

"No," I say, my voice carrying the echo of every sister who chose this path. "We are Valkyrie." The word feels right, like coming home to a family that chose each other.

With a single, unified motion, we unleash not just power, but completion. Light and shadow intertwine, surging outward not as weapons but as proof of what willing sacrifice and chosen loyalty can become. The wraiths dissolve, their screeches fading into silence as they face something their hunger cannot comprehend—the very thing they failed to destroy centuries ago.

Perfect unity. Perfect trust. Perfect choice.

When my feet finally touch the ground, my wings fold naturally against my back, humming with the essence of my sisters. Mouse returns to his smaller form, but his violet eyes shine with pride. My shadows settle around me, no longer just guardians but family in the truest sense.

"So..." Finn breaks the weighted silence, his voice shaky but warm. "That was terrifying. And amazing. But mostly terrifying. Do the wings come with an instruction manual? Because Bob looks like he's about to start a religion."

He's not wrong—Bob hovers near him with an almost reverent air, while Patricia frantically documents everything in her swirling shadow script. They move differently now, each one's personality clearer, stronger, now that their true nature has been revealed.

"Not the time, Finn." But Malrik's silver eyes haven't left me since the transformation, and something in his gaze makes my heart skip. He sees it all—not just the power, but the understanding behind it. The way my sisters move with me now, as extensions of myself.

The Heart of Eternity glows gently against my chest, steady and sure. There's still so much I don't understand about my heritage, these wings, about what being a Valkyrie truly means. But for the first time since my shadows—my sisters—appeared, I'm not afraid of the unknown.

"This changes nothing." Thorne spits from where he lies defeated. His voice cracks with desperate fury. "You have no idea what's coming. What he has planned—"

"Save it." I cut him off, and my sisters ripple with shared conviction. Each one moves with new purpose—Bob taking a defensive stance, Patricia analyzing the scene, Finnick ready to strike. Not just shadows anymore, but warriors remembering who they are. "We'll be ready."

Thorne staggers to his feet, dark energy crackling weakly around his hands. "This isn't over," he snarls. "He's coming, and when he does—"

My sisters surge forward as one, moving with renewed purpose. But Thorne slams his staff into the ground, unleashing a final blast of corrupted magic. By the time the air clears, he's gone, leaving only a lingering trace of tainted power to mark where he stood.

"Should we go after him?" Finn asks, but Malrik shakes his head.

"He's using the old shadow paths," Malrik explains grimly. "We'd never catch him now."

A weak cough draws our attention. Darian lies crumpled against the far wall, his attempted betrayal of Thorne having cost him dearly. Blood trickles from his nose, his magic flickering erratically around him.

"Please," he whispers as we approach. "I didn't—I didn't know what he really wanted. What he was planning..."

My wings flare instinctively, casting dancing shadows across his face. But it's my sisters who make him flinch—not with their power, but with their unity, their ancient purpose. Everything he tried to document and control reduced to nothing in the face of true understanding.

"We're not going to kill you, Darian."

"No," Malrik agrees, his voice cold. "The academy has cells beneath the Archives. Ancient ones, warded against magic. The board can decide what to do with him."