Rejected and Claimed by her Alpha Triplets

Chapter 321 - something worse

321

~Lisa’s POV

The hall went completely silent.

The music stopped. The laughter faded.

And then, one by one, every person in the room began to kneel.

At first, I thought I was seeing it wrong. The guards. The maids. The guests. Even the warriors and elders. They all lowered themselves before me, their heads bowed, their hands over their hearts.

My breath caught in my throat. "What... what are they doing?" I whispered, stepping back a little.

Beside me, Thorne looked just as stunned. "Lisa... they’re bowing to you," he said, his voice quiet but shaky. "Why are they bowing?"

"I don’t know," I said, my heart pounding fast. "Thorne, I don’t understand..."

Before I could say more, Lira stepped forward. Her eyes were glowing faintly, her voice firm but filled with emotion. "It’s happening," she murmured. "The prophecy... it’s come to pass."

She walked slowly around the kneeling crowd, her steps steady, her gaze fixed on me. Everyone’s head stayed bowed as she moved, and the weight of their silence filled the hall like thunder.

"What prophecy?" Thorne asked, his eyes darting between me and Lira. "What are you talking about?"

Lira turned to him, then looked back at me. "The one your mother spoke of before she died. The one she hid from the world."

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Lira... what are you saying?"

She stopped in front of me, her voice trembling now, not with fear, but with awe. "There’s one thing I never told you," she said softly. "Something I promised your mother I would keep hidden until the signs appeared."

"Tell me," I whispered.

She took a deep breath. "Your birth wasn’t ordinary, Lisa. The moon shone red that night, not as a curse, but as a mark of destiny. The prophecy said that a child born under the crimson moon would rise with fire in her veins and command over all creation."

Thorne frowned. "Command over....what does that mean?"

Lira’s eyes met mine, and I saw tears forming in them. "It means that the world will bow before her. Humans. Wolves. Witches. Every living thing. She will decide who lives, who begs... and who bleeds."

The words sent chills down my spine. I took a step back, shaking my head. "No... no, that can’t be. I don’t want that kind of power."

Lira smiled sadly. "You don’t choose destiny, Lisa. Destiny chose you."

Thorne clenched his fists, trying to stay calm. "So you’re saying... my sister is supposed to rule over everyone?"

"Yes," Lira said simply. "She is the highest creature after the Moon Goddess herself."

I could barely breathe. My legs felt weak. "Lira... stop. You’re scaring me."

"I’m not trying to scare you," she said gently, stepping closer. "I’m trying to make you understand who you are. Why your powers are so great. Why the coven knelt the moment they felt your presence."

I looked around. The people were still kneeling, heads bowed, waiting. The flames in the torches flickered toward me like they were drawn to my energy.

Thorne moved closer and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Lisa," he said softly, "look at them. You’re their leader now."

My chest tightened. "But I never asked for this, Thorne. I just wanted to see you again. I just wanted peace."

Lira’s words echoed through the hall like a soft hymn, "Then lead with peace, my Queen. Lead with light."

My chest felt tight. I wanted to tell her to stop calling me that, to stop making this sound like destiny, but when I looked down at her, kneeling, her head bowed low, her hands trembling slightly, I couldn’t speak.

"Lira, don’t...." I began, but the words broke in my throat. My voice cracked like thin glass.

She looked up at me with eyes that shimmered with tears and pride all at once. "You have the power to change everything, Lisa," she said quietly. "But remember..." Her voice grew firm, serious, like a mother giving her child the last warning she’d ever get. "I only pray you use it to heal the world, not lead it into ruins."

The hall was completely still. No one dared to move or breath. I could feel it deep in my bones, the pull of something greater than myself, like the air itself was waiting for me to say something, to do something.

My eyes swept across the room. The wolves, the witches, all on their knees. Thorne, my brother, stood beside me, tall and proud, his eyes glistening with something.

And at my feet, Lira, the woman who had guided me, trained me, believed in me, knelt like I was something divine.

It didn’t feel real. It felt too big. Too heavy.

"Please..." I whispered, but my voice faltered again.

I took a deep breath, feeling the fire in my chest stir. It was like something inside me was waking up, humming in tune with the flames around the hall. I didn’t even think, I just lifted my hand.

The moment I did, the air shifted. The torches flared bright, the ground gave a low hum, and every heartbeat in the room seemed to sync with mine. The flames bent toward me like they were answering a silent call.

"Please rise," I said softly.

The words carried through the hall, but it wasn’t just my voice. It was layered, deeper, fuller, like a voice from the stars spoke with mine. The power in it made the walls tremble faintly, made the air shimmer with warmth.

One by one, they rose to their feet. No one spoke. Their faces were filled with respect, awe, even love. Some had tears in their eyes.

Thorne stepped closer, his eyes still fixed on me. His voice was quiet, almost a whisper. "You really are his daughter."

I blinked. "His?"

He nodded slowly, his jaw tight. "Father’s blood runs through you stronger than it ever did through me. I can feel it. The way you command... the way the world listens when you speak."

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. I just gave him a faint smile, though my heart felt heavy with fear and pride. "Then let’s make sure I don’t become something worse," I said softly.

He smiled a little, resting a hand on my shoulder. "You won’t."

Lira, still kneeling, lowered her head again. Her voice was low, almost a whisper carried by the wind. "Then the true reign begins."

And with that, the celebration continued.

The moment of silence, that heavy, sacred stillness, slowly gave way to music again. The drums started first, soft and rhythmic, followed by the flutes and the cheerful hum of the crowd. It was as if the world had taken a deep breath and finally exhaled.