Chapter 10
Rynlee’s POV
After a long pause, I forced myself to my feet.
My legs shook beneath me, barely able to support my weight.
My arms throbbed. My thigh was burning. My shoulder had gone completely numb.
I was covered in blood, some mine, some not.
But the sky above was a brilliant, cloud-dotted blue.
Golden wheat stretched endlessly around me, swaying in a warm, sweet breeze.
The air carried the scent of summer and sunlight and something impossibly clean.
It felt like a memory I hadn’t lived. Then…
“Hello, Rynlee.” The voice was soft. Angelic.
I spun quickly and gasped. A woman stood there, radiant and regal, as though dawn itself had taken shape.
She wore a golden toga that shimmered with its own radiance, threads catching and bending the air around her.
A crown rested upon her head, delicate yet fierce, its design fanning outward like the rays of the sun.
Her skin was fair, but not pale—luminous, as if light lived beneath it instead of simply touching it.
Softness shaped her face: rounded cheeks, a gentle curve to her mouth, strength woven quietly into the line of her jaw.
Her sapphire-colored eyes appeared clear and endless, bright as a cloudless sky at noon.
And her hair, long waves of fiery red, cascaded over her shoulders and down her back, curls reflecting the light as if each strand carried a living flame.
My breath caught. Her blue eyes were identical to mine.
So was her face. Her height. Even the way she held herself, chin slightly lifted, back firm, as though the world expected her to stand tall, and she had never considered doing otherwise.
Except for the hair. She looked exactly like me. Or perhaps…I looked exactly like her.
“Who? W-what—” The words stumbled out of me. Confusion fogged my thoughts. She smiled gently.
“I know this is a lot, but I’m Hemera. The Sun Goddess.”
My heart stuttered. “Sun… Goddess?” She nodded, eyes bright with warmth.
“Yes. And I’ve chosen you to carry my power. Though, in truth, it was always meant to be yours.”
I stared at her, blinking. “Why do I look like you?”
She stepped closer, her smile widening. “Because your mother’s bloodline is directly descended from mine. You, Rynlee, are the one who inherited more than just my face. You possess my spark.” Did my father know? Is that why he forced me into Arcanna?
I swallowed. “Okay… that explains the resemblance. But what exactly does this power entail?”
Hemera tilted her head, eyes gleaming. “You will learn to heal and to wield fire—not elemental fire, but divine flame. Yours can create life, spark rebirth, or cause destruction. It is light, and it is death. It is balance.” I didn’t breathe.
“Your flames will outshine all others,” she continued.
“You will also have the ability to cast light shields; protective barriers projected onto yourself or others. And finally…” she paused.
“I’m granting you the gift of resurrection. ”
My eyes snapped up. “Resurrection? Like… bringing people back from the dead?”
She gave me a soft warning look. “Yes. But this gift is the most dangerous of all. It will take time to harness and if misused, it can unravel you.” I nodded slowly, trying to absorb everything. My heart still raced.
“Well… thank you. For picking me. Even if it was destiny.”
Her laugh was delicate. “Even if it wasn’t destiny, I would have chosen you. You saved Luna. Tried to save another. You fought with mercy, and you stood your ground when it mattered. That is what it means to carry the light.”
She stepped forward and placed a warm hand over my heart.
“Trust your instincts, Rynlee. Trust what’s inside you now.
I’ll be watching.” The golden world began to fade.
And just like that, I was standing at the edge of the fog, back on the mountain.
My legs buckled, and I shifted my weight to my uninjured side, limping into the clearing where the other surviving first-years were gathered.
Some were crying. Some were laughing. Some sat in stunned silence.
Then I smelled it. Vanilla and musk, rich, warm, familiar. My breath caught.
The aroma wrapped around me, tugging at something deep in my chest. I followed it, weaving through the crowd as though I were being pulled by a thread I couldn’t see.
Aiden stepped into my path. The scent hit me like a wave, it was him.
Before I could speak, he gripped me by the upper arms and yanked me closer, his face only inches from mine.
He leaned in and smelled my hair. My heart went wild.
What was happening? He suddenly pulled back and grabbed my forearms. His gaze dropped to the runes glowing gold and still warm.
A sun marked each palm. Slightly above my wrists, a flame.
Higher up, a symbol that resembled a star.
Aiden stared at them as if they were a curse. He then looked at me.
Fury, restraint, pain. But before I could say a word, he turned and stormed off, disappearing into the crowd. I stood there, stunned, my heart in my throat, unsure what had just happened, only that a shift between us had changed. Forever.
“Ryn! You made it,” Alaric called out, relief flooding his voice as he rushed toward me.
Before I could react, he wrapped his arms around me again.
The familiar comfort of his scent washed over me, something I once found grounding and soothing.
But now? It seemed… dull. Uninviting. Wrong.
Not like Aiden’s scent, rich, electric, that strange mix of vanilla and musk that lingered in my senses. What the hell was wrong with me?
Alaric pulled back slightly, still holding my arms. “What power tier did you get?” he asked, eyes scanning my face.
I lifted my forearms to show him. His breath hitched.
“You… got a goddess’s power?” I nodded, about to speak until his gaze widened again.
“Your hair,” he murmured, pointing toward my head.
Confused, I reached up, fingers threading through my damp strands.
“You have a strip of red in it,” he comments, voice hushed.
“W–what?” My brows furrowed. “The Sun Goddess, wait, what do you mean a strip of red?” Alaric paled at the name.
“The Sun Goddess,” he repeated, then paused like the words jammed in his throat. “Ryn… that means—” He stopped, struggling to gather his thoughts.
“What?” I asked again, a knot tightening in my chest. But even as I tried to focus, my eyes drifted, searching. Where’s Aiden? Why did I need to see him? Alaric finally looked at me, something pained in his expression.
“Ryn… you’re mated to Aiden now.” And just like that, the world stopped. My head snapped toward him.
“W–wait… what?” Mated? What the fuck does that even mean? Ryan’s arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling me into a congratulatory hug, his voice muffled as though I was underwater. I didn’t hear the words. I barely registered the contact. I couldn’t breathe.
Alaric cupped my cheeks, gently forcing my gaze to meet his.
“Ryn, you have to go report to the commander and tell him what power you got.” But his voice was far away now.
Like a fading echo. My knees wobbled. The sky tilted.
Alaric’s lips moved again, saying my name, but I was unable to make out the sound.
Everything blurred at the edges. And then darkness.
My eyes fluttered open, the world around me was blurry and bright.
The first thing I saw was Aunt Mira’s face hovering above mine; brows furrowed with concern.
Her hand gently cupped my cheek, and I realized I was lying in a cot.
My palms to my forearms were wrapped in bandages, and my left arm was suspended in a sling.
A dull ache pulsed through my shoulder and thigh.
“W–what happened?” I rasped, my voice hoarse from disuse.
“You fainted,” Alaric replied softly from my left. He sat at the edge of my bed, his fingers gently wrapping around mine. I felt… nothing. No spark. No flutter. Not even the familiar warmth I once clung to. Why?
“Why?” I whispered aloud, brows drawing together.
“You got the Sun Goddess’s powers,” a deep voice answered.
Aiden. His words vibrated through me like a pulse, awakening something beneath my skin, something I didn’t understand but couldn’t ignore.
And after that, it all came crashing back.
The field of golden wheat. Hemera’s face…
my face. The red in my hair. The word mate. Oh gods.
“Hello, Rynlee,” Commander Dagon said as he stepped into view.
I instinctively bowed my head. His presence, though calm, commanded silence.
“Once you’re recovered, you and Aiden will begin private training sessions.
Your powers, when paired, are stronger. But there’s also…
another matter.” His gaze flicked to my aunt and Alaric.
“Mira. Alaric. Give us the room.” His tone left no room for argument.
My aunt gave me a gentle squeeze on the shoulder before leaving.
Alaric hesitated, eyes lingering on me like he wanted to say something, but then he turned and followed.
And it was just me. And him. And the silence between us.
“Are you going to tell me that Aiden and I are mates?” I asked, my voice steadier than I felt. I avoided Aiden’s gaze, staring down at the white sheets twisted around my legs.
“Yes,” Commander Dagon said without pause.
“The Sun and Moon have always been bound. Their love was once forbidden, doomed, even. But when their powers return to mortal vessels, so too does their connection.” My chest tightened.
“You and Aiden are now linked,” he continued.
“Your bond is real. Physical. Magical. If you are hurt, Aiden will feel it. If he is hurt… you will.”