The Daughter of Dawn screamed as her back seared against the Cauldron.

Her wrists were chained to the concrete, along with her legs. She felt the sweat run down her forehead, her body racked with exhaustion. She couldn't think straight, feeling as if she might pass out at any moment.

The guard removed his foot from her chest, letting her have a moment to breathe before he forced her back again.

Auriella breathed in the night air, feeling the rain on her skin. The Being's creations had done a number to her in Under the Mountain before they winnowed her to the top, wanting her weak and prepared for when their mistress came.

She felt the blood trickle down her forehead, dripping onto her dirty attire. Her entire body ached, still feeling the remnants of the punishments that the creations had given her. She was tired, bloody, and in so much pain.

All she wanted to do was close her eyes and wake up from the nightmare.

On the other side of the Cauldron, Damian's screams echoed through the air. Auriella could hear his chains rattling, knowing that he was trying to force his way out. But the more he struggled, the more the creations kept torturing him. But after pleading with him numerous times to stop, he finally did, letting him have a moment to rest from the pain.

Auriella looked over to the cliffside, where the human form of the Cauldron stood, overlooking Prythian from the high point. Her pale hands were behind her back, unmoving. It was as if she was taking in the continent, wondering about what was to happen.

But after a moment, she snapped her fingers, making the creations still.

Without turning to them, she said, "I'm curious as to what The Being has planned for the both of you. As I understand now, she is currently heading back from the Night Court. I wonder how everything will play out. As I can see, she still doesn't know the entire truth." She says.

Damian scoffs, "I'm surprised you haven't told her. We thought that you would have exposed the truth, given that you created the three of us. You gave her a power that shouldn't even exist anymore, and yet, she wields it. So why didn't you tell her who the real Children of Day and Night are?" He asks her.

The Cauldron grins, "It's a simple answer. I take no sides. I don't care about the good or bad because you are all the same in my eyes. All of you are hungry for something, whether it's power, greed, or greatness, every single one of you thinks the same in the end. The Being is no better. She wants power and control; to get revenge on all who wronged her."

She continues, "In a way, she is still the human she once was, filled with anger and resentment for those who neglected to see her pain. Even when she was visibly suffering, no one had thought to ask, thought to care. Instead, she protected the purity that had grown up beside her, protected it so that no one could wither the flower, or hurt it as they did her."

"And when they were suddenly taken to me, forced into my Cauldron, what I saw..." She trails off as if the memory had taken everything to remember.

"I knew where Dathomir's power had to be. It could have been either of you, but I chose for the both of you to have a greater purpose. As the protectors of the Children of Day and Night, you both had the task to do exactly that. Protect. Nothing more. And now, the pieces are falling into place, but The Being has mixed them up. It is her task to figure out the truth. She will have no help from me." The human Cauldron says.

Before Auriella could ask anything, she spotted six of the sisterhood members in the sky, carrying Elain.

They all landed on the top of the mountain, gently letting go of Elain. The girl was crying, taking in the destruction that erupted throughout all of the courts.

The creations had broken through all of the borders, overwhelming everyone. As night had taken over, it wasn't long until fires had erupted. Screams echoed through the air, crying out as people were being killed each minute that passed. There was only chaos.

Deep down, Auriella could feel that something had happened to her mate, given his last words before the bond had gone silent. She could feel that he was still alive, but he was weak, his heart beating steady. She kept calling out his name, hoping that he would wake at the sound of her voice, but it was no use.

The Being had attacked the Night Court.

Damian stared at Elain, "Are you alright? Did they do anything to you?" He asked her, his chains rattling.

Elain made her way over to him, kneeling, "I should be asking you that. What have they done to you?" She asks him.

Damian shakes his head, "Don't worry about me right now. There is something you have to know. You-" He gets interrupted as a cloud of smoke forms behind Elain, seeing the golf lightning flash through it.

But as quick as it came, the smoke cleared, and Auriella's eyes widened as she recognized the woman that stood there, with the High Prince of the Night Court in her arms. Behind her, the rest of the sisterhood winnowed in, standing beside their mistress.

Nesta Archeron.

***

Elain Archeron stood from the ground, eyes wide, as she took in the truth. Even with the chaos surrounding them, the sisters only focused on each other. One had faced utter betrayal and the other had finally revealed who she was.

Elain looked over to Nyx, who wanted to get out of his Nesta's arms. He was screaming up a storm, his face red from crying too much. He reached out to his other aunt.

"Give him to me," Elain said, her voice shaking.

Nesta nodded once, setting her nephew down. She throws his blanket she carried him to the side, focusing her gaze on her sister.

Nyx immediately went into Elain, who picked him up and held him tightly in her arms. She wiped his tears away, murmuring comforting words into his ear to make him calm down.

And once he did, the two Archeron sisters faced each other once more.

"Why?" Elain breathed, body trembling with anger.

Nesta took a deep breath, "There was a dream for Prythian. A dream that had order, that had one sole ruler. I am Prythian's hope. I was made for this. This is my purpose; to rebuild, restore, and reunite what never has been. The seven High Lords are unfit to rule and they will never understand what I do."

Elain shakes her head, "Do you not understand how mad that is! You are destroying everything these people have built! It has been this way for centuries and you can't take it away from them! This isn't you, Nesta! Stop this madness before it is too late!" She pleads.

Nesta scoffs, "No, sister. I'm afraid that I cannot. I have worked too long for this. Every plan, every creation, everything that I put into this has made me cross a line I cannot come back from. There is nothing that you can say or do that will make me change my mind." She admits.

Elain pales, "You have betrayed everyone in Prythian. You have betrayed Feyre, me, and even yourself! Where is the woman that had protected me for so many years? Where is the woman who would give anything to save her family? Where is she? Because I know for certain that she is not the person that is in front of me." She tells her.

The thunder booms through the night drops of rain already making their way down.

But the two sisters aren't fazed by anything.

"The woman you knew died when she was forced into the Cauldron. She died when she became someone she never wanted to be. She died when she was given a choice to either leave or stay. She died when her family chose fae over her." Nesta sneers, stepping closer to her sister.

Elain doesn't move, "So that is why you're doing this? You have decided to betray everyone around you because we decided to make the most out of what we have become? We can't go back to the past, Nesta! And frankly, if we had the choice right now, I would choose to stay the way I am. You have to accept yourself. It's the only way to move on." She tells her.

Nesta shakes her head again, "I am not like you, Elain. I never wanted to be this. And you think I am just going to accept it as if it is a bouquet? No, sister. The Cauldron realized that when I went into its waters. It saw me rejecting and it gave me a greater gift than any of you could possess." She says.

"What you have is a curse that should never walk upon the land! You have resurrected the dead and make them act as your own personal puppets! You have terrorized everyone until their screams are no more! You have evaded our land with dark magic, slowly taking away any freedom we have! You are not making things better, Nesta! You are withering everything away!" Elain yells, making Nyx whine again.

Nesta chuckles, "Oh, sister... you have no idea what you say. My dark magic is getting rid of anything unworthy to me. Soon, every High Lord will bow to me. The courts will fall. And everyone will know who their true ruler is. Dathomir may be a part of me now, but my name will be known." She says.

She walks closer to Elain, standing only inches away from her. Elain turns to the side, not wanting Nesta near Nyx. The little boy still holds to his aunt, his silent tears staining her shirt.

"Can you imagine it? Prythian will shine once again, but first, there is work to be done. I will rid this land of every filthy roach that disobeys me. Once the courts are obliterated, my kingdom will rise and every knee shall fall. Those who held their power over me, tried to change me, or tried to hurt me, will see me when the light leaves their eyes." Nesta says.

Elain doesn't say anything, mainly because she is too shocked at the words that were spoken. She stares at her sister as if she were a stranger. And she wondered, for a brief moment, if she ever knew her sister at all. She wondered if the woman who had always protected her, always shielded her away from anything remotely bad, was gone.

The Being looks at her nephew, "It's a shame that neither of you will be here to see it." She says, walking away from her sister, headed to the smoking throne.

At that, Elain snaps her head to her, "What are you talking about? What are you going to do with us?" She asks, taking a step back.

Nesta's eyes become yellow once more, "I am not going to hurt you, Elain. I want you far away from here, along with Nyx. Neither of you will be here when Prythian becomes mine. You both don't deserve to see the carnage that will rain down. Instead, you both will be someplace else; another world of some kind. Which one? I do not know." She reveals.

Elain narrows her brows, "What the hell are you talking about?" She asks.

Her sister ignores her words, nodding at the creations that stood in front of Damian and Auriella. The creations put their feet on the twins' chests, forcing their backs onto the boiling Cauldron, making their screams pierce the air.

Before Elain could plead for Nesta to stop, she sees a woman dressed in emerald green appear in front of the Cauldron, her hands touching the brim. She stares at Nesta, her eyes gleaming.

"Make your decision wisely, Nesta Archeron. Do you really want to do this? If you say yes, the portal will open once and once only. I will use Auriella and Damian's magic, but once that is wasted, I can do nothing more for you." The woman tells her.

Nesta slowly turns her head back to Elain.

When they locked eyes again, Elain hoped that her sister would realize the mistake she was making. She hoped that she was enough to change her back into the person she once was, the sister that she loved dearly.

She wanted to be enough.

But she wasn't.

"Open the portal," Nesta says, her eyes turning into a golden yellow.

Elain sobs, "No! Nesta, please don't do this! I'll never forgive you if you do! Feyre will never forgive you for taking away her only child! They will kill you if you do not surrender! Please, please, listen to me! I don't want you to die!" She screams at her.

Nesta ignores her, nodding to the woman.

The woman immediately brings the dark magic surrounding the smoking throne, colliding it with the magic of the Cauldron. Damian and Auriella scream as their own magic is slowly being drained from them.

Auriella's powers cloud her in darkness, her shadows making her barely visible. Damian's powers do the same, his body glowing brightly. Both of their abilities collide with the powers of the Cauldron and the smoking throne.

"Portelius Oleria," The woman whispers, pointing her finger to the concrete before she slowly moves it up. She makes a wall of violet light, shimmering with stars as it glows in the darkness of night. It was the most beautiful sight to behold.

The woman turns to Nesta, "Your sister and nephew must head into it now before Damian and Auriella's magic drains from them. You have only minutes." She tells her.

Nesta turns to her sister, "Will you comply? Or do I have to force you into it myself?" She asks.

"If I do, will you promise me that you won't touch Lucien?" Elain asks.

Nesta's yellow eyes gleam with anger, but she doesn't say anything.

"Promise me that you won't hurt Lucien. Please. He has done everything to make up for his mistakes. He has apologized several times. He is everything to me, Nesta. All I ask is for you to spare him. Please, don't kill him." She begs.

After a few seconds, Nesta nods once, "Your mate will earn no harm from me, Elain. I promise that." She says.

Elain swallows, starting to walk towards the portal. But as she walks past Damian, she feels his hand grab her ankle. She gasps, feeling everything hit her at once.

He had shown her what awaited; shown her another part of the truth she hadn't known.

And once he lets go of her ankle, his hand becomes limp beside his glowing body.

Suddenly, two members of the sisterhood grab her arms, forcing her inches away from the portal. Nesta stands at the side, staring at her.

Elain turns her head to her for the last time, "If I ever come back again, Nesta... I hope to see you again. Even if Dathomir's spirit continues to live inside of you, I will be happy that you are still alive. I love you, sister. And I hope that you will realize the mistakes you have made." She tells her.

Before Nesta could say anything, a brief cloud of darkness formed, revealing the Daughter of Dawn's wolf.

Perseus.

In the blink of an eye, the wolf ripped the heads off of the creations that tried to kill him. The sisterhood had their swords out, trying to catch the wolf, but he dodged their hits, running past them with unbelievable speed.

Nesta immediately pushed her sister and Nyx into the portal, yelling at the human Cauldron to close it. The woman took away her magic, making it close.

The Being stood in front of it, hoping she could catch the wolf, but instead, Perseus leaped into the air. His claws swiped across her cheek, making her cry out.

And before the portal closed, Perseus made it through, following after Elain and Nyx.

***

Nesta Archeron stared at the spot where the portal once stood, holding her cheek as it bled from the wolf's scratch.

She felt something shift inside of her, the whispers in her mind yelling at her. She didn't understand why. She didn't know what she did wrong.

What have you done? What have you done! You let the Children of Day and Night escape your grasp! How could you let this happen!

She shook her head, looking back to see Damian and Auriella slumped on the Cauldron.

"No, that isn't true. The Children of Day and Night are right here. They are in my grasp. Their magic made the portal." She says to the voices.

Clare chuckled, "Oh, Miss Archeron, how mistaken you are." She says.

Nesta stares at her with wide eyes, "What are you talking about? Why are the voices telling me that the Children of Day and Night are gone?! What is happening?!" She screams at her.

Clare kneels, "Because the Children of Day and Night are gone. You were too blinded by the love that you hold for your own nephew to even realize that he is the real Child of Night. Even the love that you hold for your sister distracted you from realizing that she is pregnant with the real Child of Day." She reveals.

Nesta felt as if the wind was knocked out of her. This wasn't real. She had planned for so long, made sure to make no mistakes. This had to be a dream; a sick joke that the Cauldron was playing on her.

Clare continued, "Damian and Auriella are the protectors of the Children of Day and Night. They hold powers similar to theirs, but far weaker. I made them in the womb of their mother because I knew that you would come to me sooner than I expected. That is why I asked you, Nesta Archeron, if you were sure. I do not choose sides. I do not bow before anyone. I work on my own. I put the power of Dathomir inside of you because I've seen the potential in you. I knew that you were going to use the power to restore order to Prythian, making it into what he once dreamed of."

Clare stands, "But now that you have sent the Children of Day and Night into another world, you have given them time. How much? I haven't a clue. But once they come back - which they will - be prepared to fight for your life. They will show no mercy when they find out the truth with what you have done to their home." She finishes.

The human Cauldron disappears, leaving Nesta to take in her grave mistake.