The Conduit Chamber was dim, the threads glowing faintly like they were recovering from a wound. Arielle sat on the cold floor, her hands trembling, the memory of Draven's voice still coiled in her mind like a parasite.
Selene paced nearby, their usual composure frayed. The silver needle flickered unsteadily, as if drained.
"He's testing you," Selene said finally, their voice low. "He knows you can't ignore the hum. He'll keep pushing until you break, or until…" They trailed off, staring at the black tether visible even from inside the chamber.
"Until what?" Arielle asked, her voice rough.
Selene turned to her, their expression softer now, but shadowed by something like guilt. "Until he takes you. Or until we stop him. But stopping him means facing the tether itself. And…" They hesitated. "It means facing what I did to create it."
Arielle's chest tightened. "What you did?"
Selene met her gaze, unflinching. "The tether exists because of me. Because I severed a bond I never should have touched. Draven was my mentor… and the person I cut."
The words hung heavy in the air, heavier than any thread Arielle had ever touched.
Before she could respond, a low, rumbling crack echoed through the chamber. Threads snapped overhead, cascading sparks of light. The black tether outside pulsed violently, closer than ever.
Selene reached out, gripping Arielle's wrist. "We don't have time. If we don't stop him soon, the weave won't hold. And neither will we."
The chamber shuddered, a deep tremor rolling through the floor. The threads bent toward the tether, as though being pulled into the sky.
Volume One ends as Arielle grips Selene's hand, the glow from the tether flooding the chamber, swallowing everything in blinding light.