ECLIPSE, grishaverse

vii. the runaway

                    BAGHRA TOOK HER ARM AND started pushing her into the passageway, where she found the silhouette of her sister. Yelena furrowed her brows at her, but Alina shrugged.

"You two need to leave this place now, when there's still time." Baghra said.

"What?" Alina spoke.

"But why? Baghr—" the older Starkov was unable to finish, the old woman closed the door of the passage behind them and started pushing through the stone walls.

"I'm trying to save you from living the rest of your life as a slave."

"Did.. General Kirigan sent you? Did someone infiltrated the Palace?" Yelena asked, now alarmed.

"I'm trying to save you from him." they took a turn after descending stairs. "He intends to expand the Fold and use it as a weapon. That's what he created it for in the first place."

"The Black Heretic created the Fold. Hundreds of years ago and it was a mistake. Maybe you are.." Alina kept talking, but Yelena's head was spinning, making the connections and putting the pieces together. "He wanted us to train to get better and tear it down. He even trained Lena himself!"

"Of course he did, he wanted to distract her with dreams of her future with him because she's the key to everything." The old woman snorted bitterly.

"What?" her little sister fell silent.

"Did he offer you the Fabrikators tricky gloves? Did he tell you how lonely he was? Give you a glimpse of the wounded boy? Did your dark prince make you promise to be with him until the end, Yelena?" Baghra's eyes seemed to get darker.

"Stop it." Yelena finally spoke, her chest was moving up and down fast trying to catch a breath as anger flowed through her, but she wasn't sure at whom she was mad.

"He is the Black Heretic. He chose a nobleman's name to hide after he made the Fold."

"You're lying." Yelena whispered, shaking her head.

"Look at me, girl." the old woman raised a hand and made a slow move, shadows started creeping up the walls.

"But.. Only Kirigan's bloodline.." Alina mumbled.

"You are his mother." Yelena said slowly, her face fell.

"My son tried creating his own army with merzost. He didn't think about the people who lived there, what such power will do to them. Turned them into the twisted, evil things that attacked you."

"The volcra were men?" Alina asked and her voice broke.

"And women. Children." Yelena could hear her own heart breaking. "I warned him there would be a price. He had many names, served many Kings, fake countless deaths, waiting for you two." Baghra showed them an old painting of what it looked like young Aleksander. "With Alina at his command, he'll be able to enter the Fold and weaponize it as he always planned. And with Yelena on his side, no one could take him down. He'll be unstoppable."

"He told us he wanted to make the country whole again." Alina mumbled.

"He's had centuries to master lying to naive girls. Do you think this is about you? He's been obsessed with power, with hunting all of Morozova's creatures. You nearly gave him the stag. And now, you must hide." Baghra warned.

"I won't help him, I'll fight him back. We will." Alina spoke, her older sister was still speechless looking at the painting of the man who she thought was finally the one. Silly to believe there's such s thing as 'the one' for you, the darkness of her mind was coming back slowly.