The moonlight cut through the fog like a silver blade as Miles stood at the edge of the ruined bell tower just outside Black Hollow.
He waited.
The wind howled softly through broken windows and ivy-covered stone, but he remained motionless, one hand resting on the curved hilt of the blade slung across his back—a blade that had tasted shadow before.
He hated waiting.
Especially now.
Especially with them together.
Dorian and Elena. The thought turned his stomach. He could feel her slipping further away with every passing hour. The more time she spent with Dorian, the stronger their bond became.
But Miles wasn't ready to give up. Not when he'd spent years preparing for this moment.
A flicker of darkness swirled at the edge of the stone floor.
Then she appeared.
A woman, cloaked in deep crimson, stepped from the shadows as though she had always been there. Her face was sharp and elegant, eyes gleaming violet under the moonlight.
"Liora," Miles said coldly. "You're late."
"You're impatient," she replied, smiling faintly. "Still playing the hero while dancing with devils, are we?"
"I didn't summon you for banter. I need your help."
Her smile faded. "Because she's chosen him."
Miles didn't flinch. "I don't believe in fate. That bond between them—it's a relic. Old magic. Fragile."
"Dangerous," she added. "You realize severing that kind of soul-binding could kill one or both of them?"
Miles' jaw tensed. "Only if it's done poorly."
Liora stepped closer. "And you want me to do it?"
"You're the only shadow-walker left who knows how."
She gave a soft laugh. "You don't ask for much, do you? Do you want to break the bond… or redirect it?"
Miles hesitated.
Liora's eyes narrowed. "Ah. So that's your plan."
He didn't speak.
She circled him slowly. "You want to make her yours—not just free her from him. You want to anchor her to you."
"She was mine before he ever showed up," Miles growled. "We trained together. Fought side by side. I protected her when the town turned against her."
"And still, her heart went to someone else."
"That's because of the magic," he snapped. "It's not real. It's forced."
"Or perhaps," Liora whispered, her voice a serpent's coil, "you simply weren't enough."
Miles's eyes flashed with golden fire. The runes on his blade shimmered as the air around him pulsed.
Liora raised her hands mockingly. "Touchy."
He took a deep breath, reining in the storm behind his eyes. "Can you do it or not?"
Liora stepped to the edge of the broken window and looked toward the forest. Toward the Sanctuary.
"I can weaken their bond," she said at last. "But only if I get close enough to her."
"She trusts me," Miles said. "I can bring her to you."
"No tricks," she warned. "If the soul-link snaps violently, it won't be her you lose—it'll be everything."
He nodded. "When?"
"Soon," she said. "The moon's about to enter the Shard Phase. Their connection will be weakest then. If we strike at the right moment, we can sever the threads before they fuse fully."
Liora turned to him, eyes glowing. "But if you fail—if she chooses him even after the link is gone—you'll lose her. Forever."
Miles didn't blink. "Then I'll make sure she doesn't get that chance."
Back at the Sanctuary's Edge
Far from the tower, Dorian and Elena stood beneath the stars near a waterfall hidden behind the Sanctuary's cliffs.
She rested her head on his shoulder.
For now, the world was quiet. But shadows were already stirring.
And somewhere far above, a shattered bell echoed once.