The throne room of the Shadow Court was carved from pure night.
High arches twisted upward like blackened ribs, and at the far end stood a throne that shimmered between shadow and silver. Around it, twelve figures in hooded cloaks watched in silence—faces hidden, eyes glowing faintly.
Elara could feel their gaze slicing through her like blades. Her wrists were bound with runes of shadowlight; every breath she took echoed in the vast, hollow chamber.
Darius stood beside her—unbound, but surrounded by guards. His wings were gone again, his face cold and unreadable.
The figure on the throne leaned forward. "Darius of the Fallen Line," the voice hissed, layered and ancient. "You stand accused of treason against the Court."
Elara's chest tightened.
"And the mortal girl," another voice said from the circle, "bears the mark of the Veil—and your power within her veins. You forged a bond."
Darius's jaw clenched. "She saved my life."
"By defying the ancient law," the figure on the throne spat. "Do you deny it?"
Silence.
Then Darius said, low but steady, "No."
Gasps rippled through the chamber.
Elara's heart pounded. "What's happening? What are they going to do?" she whispered.
The nearest guard sneered. "Punish you. Both."
The figure on the throne rose. Its cloak shifted, revealing pale skin streaked with silver veins and eyes like broken stars.
"You have tainted the Balance," the ruler said. "The bond between you threatens the Veil itself. For that, you will both be unmade."
Elara stepped forward despite the chains biting into her wrists. "You can't just decide that! I didn't ask for this!"
The ruler's voice cut through her words. "You were born from it."
The air went still.
Elara froze. "What… what do you mean?"
The ruler's gaze sharpened. "Your father was not merely a shadow warrior. He was one of us—a highborn of the Court, chosen by the Veil itself. His death broke the balance between realms. You are the crack that remains."
Elara shook her head, tears burning in her eyes. "You're lying."
"Ask your protector," the ruler said, turning toward Darius. "He knows the truth."
She looked at him—pleading, desperate. "Darius…?"
For a long moment, he didn't answer. Then, with a heavy exhale, he said quietly, "They're right."
Her world shattered.
"You knew?" Her voice broke. "You knew all this time, and you didn't tell me?"
"I wanted to protect you."
"By lying to me?" she snapped, her anger trembling with hurt. "By letting me bond with someone who destroyed my father's life?"
Darius took a step forward, his voice strained. "Elara, listen to me—"
"Enough!" the ruler thundered. The sound cracked through the chamber like lightning. "The bond will be severed—by force."
Before Darius could react, dark tendrils of energy burst from the ground, wrapping around him. The same shadows lashed toward Elara, searing through her skin. Pain tore through both of them—their shared link burning like molten fire.
Darius screamed. "No—stop! You'll kill her!"
"Then she was never meant to live," the ruler hissed.
Elara fell to her knees, gasping. Her heartbeat faltered, her vision blurring. Somewhere in the haze, she saw Darius tear free from his bindings—his eyes glowing crimson, wings erupting from his back again.
He roared—a sound that shook the entire chamber.
And as the walls began to crack and the shadows fled from his fury, one thought echoed in Elara's fading mind:
He'll burn the world before he lets them take me.
✨ End of Chapter 7 ✨