POV: Ravenna
Elder Mira calls a council meeting the next morning.
Not the whole village—just the leadership. Me, Theron, Morgana, Saren. The other two healers. A man named Kai who has shadow manipulation. A woman named Sera with shield abilities. Maybe a dozen people total, all gathered in the central hall with grim expressions.
"We need to discuss the Eclipse," Mira says without preamble. "Princess Ravenna escaped Lady Seris directly. That means they know we exist. Know our general location. They will be planning their next move." She pauses. "And we need to plan ours."
"What IS there to plan?" Morgana asks. She's been restless since we arrived, unused to safety, needing ACTION. "We're hiding in a valley behind concealment magic. They're hunting us from positions of power across four kingdoms. We're outmatched."
"We're INFORMED," Mira corrects. "We have been tracking the Eclipse for twenty years. Gathering information from survivors. Building a complete picture of their organization." She gestures to the table where maps and documents are spread. "It is time to share what we know."
She moves to the table. We all gather around.
"The Eclipse was founded approximately thirty-six years ago," Mira begins. "We know this because that is when gift-bearers started disappearing in patterns. Not random attacks. Not isolated incidents. Systematic hunting across all four kingdoms simultaneously."
"Thirty-six years," I breathe. "Before I was born."
"Before most of us were born," Sera says quietly. "They have been doing this for GENERATIONS."
Mira nods. "The founder had True-Sight ability—the gift to see lies, detect deception, sense other rare gifts. They used this gift to IDENTIFY gift-bearers. And then convinced others that we were dangerous. Destabilizing. Corrupting influences that would destroy kingdom balance."
"How do you know all this?" Theron asks. His voice is sharp. Analytical. "If they operate in secret—"
"Survivors." Kai's voice is rough. "People who escaped. Who heard things before they ran. Who pieced together fragments over decades." He touches a scar on his neck. "I was captured eight years ago. Held for three days before I escaped. I heard them talking about 'the founder's vision.' About 'preserving the balance the Pact created.' About how gifts were 'corruption of the original design.'"
My skin crawls. "They genuinely believe they're HELPING."
"Some do," Mira says. "True believers who think gift-bearers are existential threats. Others simply hate us. Fear us. Want to control or eliminate anything different." She points to the map. "Over decades, they recruited members across all kingdoms. Nobles. Military officers. Merchants. Diplomats. Anyone with resources who shared their ideology or could be manipulated into helping."
"How MANY?" Saren asks.
"Inner circle? Perhaps ten to fifteen key leaders. Outer circle of active hunters? Maybe fifty to seventy across all kingdoms. Sympathizers who provide information or resources but don't directly kill? Hundreds." Mira's expression is grim. "They are vast. Entrenched. Connected to the highest levels of power in every kingdom."
"Gods," Morgana whispers.
"We have identified several Eclipse members through testimony," Mira continues. She points to names written on the map. "General Stone of Earth Kingdom—you encountered him directly. He has shield gift, which makes him hypocrite as well as hunter."
"He tried to kill us," I say flatly. "Multiple times."
"Ambassador Silas Cove of Aetherwyn," Mira says, moving to another name. "Senior diplomat. Has been in position for twenty-five years. We believe he uses his diplomatic immunity to move between kingdoms, coordinating Eclipse activities."
Saren goes very still. "Silas Cove. The ambassador who—who negotiates water kingdom treaties with Cindravale."
"Yes. He likely has been watching you for years, Saren. Watching Princess Ravenna. Waiting for her gift to awaken so they could strike."
I feel sick. How long have I been under surveillance? How long have they been watching, waiting for the right moment to kill me?
"Lord Marcus Thorne of Cindravale," Mira continues. "Master of Coin in your father's court. Has been stealing funds to finance Eclipse operations for over a decade."
"THORNE?" I nearly shout. "That—that weasel has been funding my mother's murderers from inside our own court?"
"We believe so. Though we have no direct proof yet."
Theron's hand finds mine under the table. Squeezes. Grounding me before I set something on fire.
"But the leader," Mira says, her voice heavy. "The founder. Their identity has remained hidden behind layers of secrecy. None of our survivors ever met them directly. Never heard a name. Only knew they existed and commanded absolute loyalty." She pauses. "Until Princess Ravenna escaped Skyreach."
All eyes turn to me.
"Tell us everything," Mira says. "Every detail about Lady Seris. Everything you observed."
So I do. I describe how Seris was at my betrothal ball months ago—diplomatic observer, seemingly kind. How she appeared in Skyreach as advisor to the Seer Council. How she maneuvered me into private training sessions. How she asked probing questions disguised as mentorship. How I overheard her talking about eliminating me "properly."
"Her age?" Mira asks.
"Late forties. But she looks ageless. Like she could be forty or sixty, impossible to tell."
"Position?"
"High Councilor. Diplomat. She has been in Air Kingdom leadership for—gods, I don't know. DECADES, probably. She's established. Trusted. Respected."
"Access to all kingdoms?"
"Yes. As diplomat, she travels constantly. Attends major events. Has connections everywhere." I pause. "And she has True-Sight gift. Can see lies. Sense intentions. Identify gift-bearers."
The room goes SILENT.
Finally, Mira says quietly, "Then it is her. Lady Seris founded the Eclipse."
"How do you know?" Morgana demands.
"Timeline fits," Kai says, tracing dates on the documents. "Eclipse started thirty-six years ago. Seris would have been—what, twelve? Thirteen when her gift awakened?"
"Young enough to be afraid," Sera adds. "Young enough to hate having a gift. Old enough to decide to destroy what she feared in herself."
"She's a hypocrite," I spit. "She has True-Sight gift and uses it to hunt other gift-bearers. She's exactly what she claims to hate."
"The worst kind of hypocrite," Mira says sadly. "A true believer who thinks her gift is different. Special. That using her corruption to eliminate other corruptions somehow makes her pure." She looks at the group. "We have been wondering for twenty years who founded the Eclipse. Now we know. Lady Seris of Skyreach. High Councilor. Diplomat. Murderer of hundreds."
"So what do we DO?" I demand. "We can't just hide here forever while she keeps killing people!"
"No," Mira agrees. "We cannot. Which is why this information must reach your father, Princess. King Aldric needs to know that his court is compromised. That Lord Thorne is Eclipse. That Ambassador Cove from Aetherwyn is Eclipse. That Lady Seris leads them all."
"How?" Theron asks. "We are hunted. The moment we leave this valley—"
"You will have help," Mira interrupts. "We have allies. Watchers in every kingdom. Safe houses. Supply caches. You will not travel alone or unprotected." She meets my eyes. "But you MUST go. This information is too important. Your father is preparing for war with Pyrstone. He needs to know the real enemy operates from within."
"When?" My voice is steady despite my fear.
"Two days. We will prepare supplies, maps, assign escorts. You will leave before Seris can organize a proper hunt."
Two days. Two days of safety before we run again.
But this time, we're not just running.
We're taking the fight back to them.
"We'll be ready," I say.
And I mean it.
The Eclipse has been hunting us for too long. Killing us for generations. Operating in darkness and secrecy and protected positions of power.
But we know who they are now. We know their leader. We know their methods.
And we're done being prey. Time to become the hunters.