Selene's POV

The darkness swallowed me whole.

I stood in the Heart of Shadow, my body trembling. The air was cold and still, heavy with the weight of centuries. I could not see anything. I could not hear anything. All I could feel was the Night Mother's presence, pressing against my mind like a weight.

Welcome, daughter of Lyra.

I spun around. The voice came from everywhere and nowhere. It echoed in my skull, soft and ancient.

"I am not your daughter," I said.

You carry her soul. Her blood. Her destiny. You are her.

I shook my head. "I am Selene. And I will not let you destroy me."...