Beneath the Wings of the Midnight Seraph

The storm had been raging for hours by the time Lyanna Crest reached the edge of the old Blackthorn Bridge. Wind howled past her like wolves chasing the night. Rain hammered against her cloak and soaked through her boots as she struggled forward. She should have been home in bed or anywhere but here at this cursed abandoned bridge. Yet something deep inside her pulled her onward. A dream that refused to fade. A voice whispering her name in the darkness. A pair of silver eyes she could never forget.

Lightning split the sky, illuminating the broken stone arch of the bridge. It stretched over a deep ravine where mist churned like restless spirits. The village warned everyone about Blackthorn Bridge. They said it was a place where souls vanished, where spirits roamed, where a winged creature haunted the night. They called it the Midnight Seraph, a being neither angel nor demon, doomed to wander alone.

Lyanna had never believed in such tales. Not until the night she nearly drowned in the river seven years ago and someone pulled her from the water. Someone with powerful arms, a soft voice, and wings made of shimmering black feathers. She never saw his face clearly, only the glow of his eyes through the blur of river water. When she woke on the riverbank, soaked and shaking, she convinced herself it had been a hallucination. Yet she never forgot him. And in her dreams, he always returned.

Tonight the dream felt too real. He had whispered to her. Come back. I need you.

The storm intensified as Lyanna stepped onto the bridge. The stones were slippery beneath her feet. The air vibrated with a strange hum that made her skin prickle. Something ancient was here. Watching her. Waiting.

Lightning flashed again.

A figure stood at the far end of the bridge.

Tall. Dark. Unmoving. His long coat whipped wildly in the wind. His hair was black as shadow and drenched by rain. But it was his eyes that stole her breath. Silver. Bright. Familiar.

Lyanna froze. Her heart hammered violently.

He spoke quietly, his voice echoing with a deep resonance that carried through the storm. You came.

Lyanna stared, barely able to breathe. Who are you

He took one step forward. Raindrops clung to his lashes. I am the one you have been trying to forget. The one you tried to convince yourself was only a dream.

Lyanna shook her head. This cannot be real. You are not real.

He lifted his hand slowly, as if approaching a frightened animal. I assure you, Lyanna, I am very real.

A powerful gust of wind nearly pushed her back, but she braced herself, struggling to speak through her shock. You saved me. Seven years ago.

His expression softened. Yes. And I have watched over you ever since.

Watched over me Why

He hesitated, then whispered. Because I am bound to you.

Lightning tore open the sky once more, and for a moment Lyanna saw something behind him. A shadow shifting. Something large.

Wings.

Massive wings made of dark feathers shimmered into view and then faded again as if the storm itself struggled to obscure them.

Lyanna stumbled back. No. This is impossible.

He stepped closer, his silver eyes gentle. My name is Calerion. I am what your people fear. What they call the Midnight Seraph. But I am not here to harm you.

She blinked rain from her eyes. Her voice shook. Why did you call me here

Calerion lowered his head slightly. Because I could no longer protect you from afar. The darkness grows stronger. It seeks you now.

Lyannas pulse quickened. The darkness What darkness

Calerions gaze shifted to the sky where thunder rumbled. The darkness that hunts wounded souls. It is drawn to pain, to fear, to hearts carrying old wounds. It has tasted your sorrow for years. It knows your name.

Lyanna took a step back. Her chest tightened painfully. I do not understand. I am no one special. Why would anything hunt me

Calerion approached slowly, giving her space. His voice was soft and steady. Because the day I saved you, the river marked you. It left a trace of celestial essence on your soul when I pulled you from the water. A connection formed between us. A bond. And now you shine brightly to the creatures that feast on light.

Lyanna hugged herself, trembling. This is too much. You are telling me I carry some sort of mark that draws monsters

Calerion nodded slightly. Yes. But you are not defenseless. You carry a spark of my power within you. It has been dormant. But tonight it will awaken. And once it does, everything will change.

Lyanna felt her throat tighten. She stared into his glowing eyes, seeing both truth and sorrow. What do you want from me

Calerion looked pained. What I want is irrelevant. What fate demands is far heavier.

A burst of black mist erupted from the ravine below. Lyanna screamed as a monstrous shape rose from the depths. Its body was skeletal yet wrapped in shadow, its empty eyes glowing like dying coals. Its movements were jerky, unnatural, wrong. The entire air chilled instantly.

Calerion grabbed Lyannas arm and pulled her behind him. Stay close to me.

The creature shrieked, its voice piercing the storm. Lyanna clung to Calerions coat, terrified. What is that thing

A Harrowshade, Calerion said. A devourer of celestial marked souls. It wants you.

The creature lunged.

Calerion shielded her with his body, and his wings burst fully into existence, unfolding with breathtaking force. They stretched wide, blocking the creature and enveloping Lyanna in warm darkness. The feathers glowed faintly with silver veins. Calerion raised his hand, and a surge of bright energy erupted from his palm.

The Harrowshade was blasted backward, screeching as the celestial light burned through its form.

Lyanna stared at Calerion, trembling. You are fighting this because of me

Calerion did not look back at her. His voice was strained. I would face an entire army of shadows for you.

The Harrowshade lunged again, faster and stronger. Calerion pushed Lyanna aside gently. Stay down. Do not look into its eyes.

She crouched on the wet stone. Fear clawed at her. Rain blurred her vision, but she forced herself to watch as Calerion fought the creature. His movements were swift and powerful, almost inhuman. His wings sliced through the air, creating gusts strong enough to push the creature back. He fired blasts of silver light, each one sending ripples of energy across the bridge.

But the Harrowshade persisted, absorbing the energy, growing darker and more chaotic.

Lyanna watched helplessly. Calerion was weakening.

No she whispered. You cannot fall. Not because of me.

The creature let out a victorious screech as it pinned Calerion down, its claws digging into his shoulders. Calerion gritted his teeth in pain.

Lyanna screamed. Stop it Get off him

The Harrowshade turned toward her, sensing the mark within her. It lunged.

Lyanna threw up her hands instinctively.

A burst of blinding white light exploded from her chest.

The impact sent the creature flying. Calerion stared in shock, his eyes wide as Lyanna collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath.

He rushed to her side. Lyanna Look at me. Are you hurt

She shook her head, trembling from adrenaline and fear. What did I just do

Your power has awakened he whispered. You have my light within you. And it answered your call.

The Harrowshade rose again, its form unraveling. It let out a final scream before dissolving into ash that scattered into the storm.

The bridge fell silent except for the rain.

Lyanna leaned into Calerion, exhausted. Her voice was barely audible. Why me Why did you have to save me that night Why did you bind me to this fate

Calerion pulled her close, his voice filled with centuries of longing and regret. Because I could not let you die. Because your soul reached for me in the darkness. Because you mattered to me in ways I could not explain or deny.

Lyanna looked up at him, searching his eyes. Her heart pounded painfully. And now What am I supposed to do with this power What are we supposed to do

His wings wrapped around her gently like a cocoon of warmth. Now you learn to survive. And I will teach you. I cannot break the bond between us. But I can help you master it.

She swallowed hard. And the darkness Will it return

Yes. Stronger. More relentless. As long as you live, it will hunt you. But you are no longer alone.

Lyanna felt something shift in her chest. Fear still lingered, but beneath it she felt something else. Trust. Connection. The echo of something ancient and unbreakable.

She whispered. Will you stay with me

Calerion brushed a strand of wet hair from her face. His voice was soft and reverent. I have waited seven years for you to ask me that. I will stay until the stars themselves fade. If you let me.

Lyanna placed her hand on his chest, feeling the steady beat beneath her palm. Then take me away from here. Take me somewhere safe.

He lifted her gently into his arms, his wings spreading wide. His voice rumbled with both power and tenderness. Hold on to me.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. I already am.

With a single powerful sweep of his wings, Calerion launched into the stormy sky, carrying her into the clouds. The wind roared around them, but Lyanna felt only warmth and safety within his arms.

Below them, the bridge faded into the darkness.

Above them, the sky opened as if welcoming them to a new destiny.

And together, beneath the wings of the Midnight Seraph, they disappeared into the night, bound by fate, by light, and by a love powerful enough to defy the darkness itself.