Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Buried deep in the Aster estate was the Heartwood—ancient, sacred, mine. Told my husband, Julian Aster—back when he actually listened—that if it ever fell, I'd die with it. At first, he freaked out. Flew in glacier water, hired a whole squad of plant experts to nurture it 24/7. Then one day, just because his childhood friend—Isabella Duvall—got a scratch from the bark, Julian had the Heartwood ripped out. The second it crashed, I choked on glowing blood—ichor. My power? Gone. Barely standing, I grabbed his arm. "You knew. If the Heartwood dies, I—" He laughed. Straight-up mocked me. "Sera, come on. That fairy tale? Only Grandma still believes that crap. Is that mayo on your mouth? Relax—it's a tree. I'll buy you a forest if you want." Overnight, my hair turned gray. Skin cracked. Eyes dulled. Still, I dragged myself to his grandmother, Henrietta. "I kept your family safe for two hundred years. That's why the Asters thrived. But the Heartwood's gone. Debt's paid. One day left. Whatever happens next? Not my problem." ... Henrietta leaned on her cane, tears slipping down her wrinkled cheeks. "We spoiled Julian rotten!" Voice trembling. Eyes darting to me like she needed forgiveness. "Sera, he didn't mean it. He and Isabella... they were always close. I told him—over and over—you and the Heartwood are one. You're our guardian." All I had left was a bitter smile. I couldn't even nod. Julian didn't forget. He knew. He just picked Isabella's scratch over my life. While I begged, he grabbed the axe himself—slicing through the Heartwood like it was nothing. I hit the floor, curled up, glowing blood spilling from my mouth. Julian? Blowing on Isabella's finger like she'd taken a bullet. The only thing he said to me? "Sera, you'd better pray Isabella doesn't scar. If she does, you're done. And save those sob stories for Grandma—see if she still buys it." Flashback shattered—Henrietta clutching my hand, desperate. "I'll send someone. We'll replant the Heartwood. We can fix this." I shook my head. "Too late." Julian used to obsess over protecting the Heartwood. So yeah, he knew exactly how to kill it. Stripped the bark. Hacked the roots. Even now, I could feel it—like my skin was being peeled off. My life was leaking out, slow and steady. I knew I was on borrowed time. Henrietta started to speak— Door slammed open. Julian's assistant strolled in, stone-faced. Didn't pause. Just marched over like I was some busted appliance. "Mrs. Aster, Mr. Aster says Ms. Duvall's staying the night. He'd like you to bring her a change of underwear. Said you're always eager to do his laundry, so you should know exactly where it's kept." The hit landed so hard, all I could do was close my eyes. Henrietta slammed her cane down, shaking with fury. "Disgraceful! Absolutely disgraceful!" She barked at the assistant to leave. Then—this woman who ran the Asters like a queen for fifty years—bowed. Deep. "Sera, I know I don't deserve to face you after what Julian did. But for our ancestors' sake, I'm begging you—just this once. Forgive him. I'll build you an altar, drape it in ivy, offer the best flowers and fruit every day. You'll be on our memorial wall, honored for generations. Just—please—don't curse us." For the first time ever, she dropped her pride. I stepped back, bitterness burning up my throat. How could I ever curse them? Two hundred years ago, I was just a young spirit bound to the wildwood. A snowstorm almost ripped my life tree from the ground. One of the Aster ancestors saved me—dug up the tree himself, replanted it right here. That's how I survived. I made a vow: as long as I had power, I'd protect his bloodline. But now, his most pathetic descendant destroyed the roots. And with them, my power. I couldn't protect the Asters anymore. Blinking back tears, I reached out, hands shaking, and helped Henrietta up. "I've guarded this family for two centuries. When Julian got sick as a kid, when that car crash nearly killed him—I gave up pieces of myself to bring him back. But that power's gone. My body's giving out. Your family's future? That's on you now."

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

I refused to run deliveries for Julian and Isabella—but of course, he wasn't done with me. Two bulky bodyguards dragged me into the living room. Julian and Isabella lounged on the couch, heads tilted together, sipping champagne like they were the only ones alive. Her hand rested on his knee. He leaned in, whispered something. She giggled, gave him a light slap. "Stop! I just stopped crying and now you're making me laugh. People'll think I'm nuts." Julian looked at her with this soft, sugary gaze—one I hadn't seen in forever. "I promised I'd never let you feel wronged." Then he looked up. The second his eyes hit me, his smile vanished. Isabella followed his gaze, let out this dramatic shriek, and dove into his arms. "Oh my god! Julian, she's terrifying! I'm scared..." I knew how I looked—gray hair, washed-out skin. Like something half-dead. Julian pulled her close, eyes full of disgust. "Sera, did you do this on purpose? Trying to scare Isabella?" I didn't answer. What was the point? He wouldn't believe me. Just like before—when I swore I never meant to hurt Isabella, and he still called me vicious over one fake tear. With Julian defending her, Isabella peeked out from his arms and flashed me a smug little smirk when no one was watching. Then she tugged her nightgown lower, pressed herself against him, and cooed, syrupy sweet, "Julian, she's still acting. I've got an idea—let's test her. Why don't we chop up that tree and toss it in the fireplace? I'm a little cold anyway. Sacred wood's gotta burn different, right?" Julian's eyes lit up, intrigued. A chill shot through me. I grabbed his coat. "No! Even if the Heartwood's uprooted, my soul's still tied to it. Anything you do to it, it's like you're—" He cut me off, already annoyed. "Like I'm doing it to you?" His face twisted. "So you can feel what it's like to be hacked apart? Spare me. You really think you're some guardian spirit? That crap might fool Grandma, but not me." Then he shoved me aside like I was dirt clinging to his clothes. I stumbled back and hit the cold floor, too weak to stand, too stunned to speak. For a second, something like confusion flickered across Julian's face—then it was gone. "Alright, that's a bit dramatic. Get up. Didn't you say it was cold? That tree's already dead. Might as well make use of it. You should thank Isabella for the idea." He turned, called for the guards, told them to chop up the Heartwood and toss it into the fireplace. The second the blades hit, I felt it—like they were carving through me, over and over. Then came the fire. I curled up, writhing, the pain unbearable. Screams tore out of me before I could stop them. The bodyguards muttered to each other. "She's totally faking it. Can't believe Mr. Aster married a psycho like her. I heard she made up all that guardian spirit crap for his money. Fooled Madam Henrietta, too.""Honestly, Ms. Duvall's a class act. She's perfect for him. Sera should just back off." Their words hit harder than any blade. Isabella's grin stretched wider with every insult—totally eating it up. But my scream must've cut deep—Julian jerked, stepping toward me before he even knew it. She launched at him like a clingy octopus. "Julian, seriously? She's killing it. Oscar-worthy meltdown right here." He froze. Then ran a thumb across her smile. "Yeah... when I almost died in that crash, you saved me. I'd do anything for you." My brain glitched. What? She saved you? No. That was me. I could still feel the blade cutting my wrist. Drop by drop, my life—my ichor—dripped into Julian's mouth. Seven days. No sleep. No breaks. I gave him everything I had. And it meant nothing. He was already lost in Isabella's perfect little lie. Nothing I said could break the spell. Through the haze, I saw them—hands locked, eyes locked. Picture-perfect. Romantic. Brutal. Something warm slid down my cheek. I wiped it, but my fingers came back gold. Not tears. Just blood. My ichor. I didn't have tears left anyway.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

The fire snapped and hissed, filling the room with a weirdly sweet smell. Isabella sprawled across the couch, soaking up the heat. "This tree smells INCREDIBLE. Like, I swear I'm getting healthier just breathing it in. Julian, could this be, like, healing or something?" Julian snorted. "Sera's full of it. It's just a tree." Then he gave her that soft, smug look. "But hey, my family's always been lucky—healthy, strong, all that. Stick close to me and you'll get some of that too." I couldn't even twitch from the pain, but a sigh slipped out anyway. The Asters had their legacy, their luck, their power—all because I protected them. Julian's life? Only still going because I broke the rules to save it, burning through my own soul to do it. I kept my vow to his ancestor, binding myself to the Heartwood, feeding this land and his bloodline with my power for two hundred years. He was just a kid the first time he stood before the tree. He'd reached out, eyes wide. "Grandma says you're our guardian. Then you've gotta be the most beautiful thing ever. When I grow up, I'll be your knight. Okay?" Time passed. People changed. But the second I saw him, I knew. Same soul. The one who once saved me. After that, he came every day—spilling his wins, his screwups, all of it. A goal at soccer. A bombed test. That's when I started watching over him. When he turned twenty, a car wreck nearly killed him. I shattered every rule I lived by, burning through most of my life force to drag him back. It wrecked my soul. To survive, I had to fuse deeper with the Heartwood—any damage to it could destroy me. Julian never knew. But when he woke up, he dropped to his knees in front of Henrietta and said he'd loved me for years. Said he wanted to marry me. The way he looked at me—like I was his whole world—I thought it had all been worth it. After we married, he listened. Really listened. I told him my life was tied to the Heartwood, and whenever storms rolled in, he'd guard it like his own heartbeat. Then Isabella showed up—bruised, shaky, a total wreck. She claimed she'd saved Julian that night. Said her family's old magic brought him back. Said I stole the credit. Julian bought it. Just like that, his warmth iced over. That soft look in his eyes? Gone. "I must've been outta my mind letting you stay by my side! Didn't you say your life's tied to that stupid tree? Let's see if it hurts when I mess it up." He grabbed a blade and went straight for the sigils carved into the Heartwood. My power flared on instinct, ready to strike back. I didn't think—I just jumped in front of him, throwing up a shield of light. He didn't see the blast coming. All he saw was me, pale and stumbling back. Thought I was guilty. That hit shattered me. I was down for three months before I could even stand again. The memory blurred, swallowed by the wreckage of now. Julian stood in front of me, that smug smirk dripping with mockery. "Sera, think Isabella's gonna get some of that good luck too?" I kept my head down—too weak to speak. He took the silence as attitude. Right then, Isabella swayed and dropped into his arms. "Julian, I... I feel dizzy..." He yelled for the doctor. After a quick check, the guy looked serious. "Ms. Duvall's symptoms are back. She needs a transfusion. Her blood type's extremely rare..." Julian's eyes locked on her, all panic and worry—then he spun toward me like he'd just struck gold. "Well, Sera, you always say you're some kind of guardian, right? So your blood's gotta be magic." He shot a look at the doctor. "Dr. Wells, test her. If it matches, transfuse it. Now."

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

At Julian's word, they treated me like a broken toy—shoved, dragged, totally numb to it. Dr. Wells rolled in some weird machine. Cold metal clamped onto my arm. The needle hit, and that was it. My ichor matched Isabella's type. Of course it did. Spirit blood always does. But it was the last of me. Once it drained, I'd be gone. The tube filled steadily, drop by drop. Every bit pulled more of me away. Then my power started slipping. I couldn't stop it. The chandelier above us began to rattle—hard. Julian staggered back, panic flashing. "Sera, what the hell are you—?" He didn't finish. The chandelier broke free—crashing down, straight for Isabella. In that split second, I scraped together the last of my strength—just enough to nudge the chandelier off course. I couldn't let anyone get hurt. Not even her. The crystals clipped her arm, leaving a thin red slash across her skin. She screamed. Julian bolted over, shielding her like she was made of glass. The second he saw the blood, his fury snapped loose. He thought I meant to do it. For a second, his eyes met mine—dull, lifeless—and his anger wavered. But Isabella's sobs dragged him right back. Any hint of doubt drowned in pure rage. He glared at me, bloodshot and seething. "You've ALWAYS been jealous of her. You turned her into your enemy, made up all kinds of twisted lies. There was never anything between us—nothing like you imagined. She even forgave you for faking that whole savior act. And now this?" The others jumped in, their voices sharp with disgust. "Mr. Aster's right! Ms. Duvall's a saint, and this one? Total snake. Ungrateful and shameless.""She's not even sick—just faking it for attention. Classic manipulator." I couldn't fight back. No strength left. Maybe this was it—buried in lies and hate. Didn't matter anymore. The end was crawling in. Julian lingered nearby, jaw tight, watching me fade. Still waiting for me to beg. I didn't. When the container hit halfway, he snapped—kicked the machine over. Marched up, grabbed my chin. His voice? Low, pissed. "Just say you won't hurt Isabella again—and I'll forgive you!" Somehow, I scraped up enough strength to move. Forced my eyes open, locked on his. And asked something totally off-script. "Julian Aster, know what I regret most?" He froze. Definitely didn't see that one coming. Twenty years ago, that kid knelt in front of the Heartwood for seven straight days, full of awe, begging to be my knight. His scraped-up knees bled into the dirt, feeding the roots, keeping me alive. The stains on the stone? Long gone. So was that boy. I exhaled the memory with my last bit of breath. "My biggest regret... was believing in that little knight who swore he'd protect me." Julian's face drained. He lunged, hands over my mouth, trying to stop the ichor. But even he flinched—my power burned. "Sera! It was just a little blood—who are you trying to fool with this dying act? Get up!" His voice was sharp, but the crack in it? That was fear. He didn't even realize. Henrietta burst in, leaning hard on her cane. She'd just been at the family cemetery, paying respects— Then the ground shook. The Aster tombstone—solid granite—split clean down the middle. No warning. She rushed back. Found me barely breathing in Julian's arms. Her knees buckled. She hit the floor, whispering, "It's over... We are finished..." Her gaze snapped to Julian—grief and rage blazing. "Sera protected us for centuries. You killed her. Now we all pay." Julian still wouldn't believe it. Henrietta's words just pissed him off more. He dropped me and stood. "Enough! Grandma, she's lying. And now you're in on it? We're finished? Retribution? Please." He threw his head back, shouting, "If there's some god out there—The High One or whatever—let it come for me!" Right then, the sky snapped dark. Storm clouds rolled in fast. Wind shrieked. Just before everything went black, I heard them—Isabella and Julian—screaming. Through the blur, a wave of pitch-black curse energy tore toward the estate. Goodbye, Julian Aster. My knight who broke his promise. This time... I can't save you.