The night in the Realm of Dawn was never fully dark.
Soft auroras moved across the sky like whispers of memory. Yet, Elara couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his face — her father's, lost in the mist of the Veil.
She sat near the glowing river, her reflection rippling with light and shadow. The mark on her wrist flickered again — faint cracks appearing through the silver lines.
The bond is breaking… she realized.
Behind her, footsteps approached. She didn't turn; she already knew who it was.
"You haven't slept in days," Darius said quietly.
"I can't," she murmured. "Every time I try, I hear him. I feel him watching me through the Veil."
Darius sat beside her, his presence grounding but heavy. "The connection between worlds is bleeding through you. The mark wasn't meant to carry two souls — yours and his."
She turned to face him. "Then why do I still feel you?"
His eyes darkened, but his voice softened. "Because I refuse to let go."
Before she could answer, her reflection in the water shimmered — splitting into two: one of light, one of darkness. The world tilted, and suddenly everything went silent.
She gasped and found herself standing in an endless mirror field. The ground beneath her shimmered like glass, reflecting infinite versions of herself stretching into the distance.
"Where am I?" she whispered.
Inside the bond, a voice answered — Darius's.
He appeared before her, but not as he usually was. Here, his eyes glowed silver like hers, his aura pure light and shadow combined.
"This is where our souls connect," he said, stepping closer. "And where it's breaking."
The mirrors around them began to crack one by one, shards floating upward like slow-moving stars.
"I don't want to lose this," she said.
"You might not have a choice," he replied. "The Veil's curse feeds on emotion — love, fear, hope. The stronger we feel, the faster it consumes us."
Elara shook her head, tears forming. "Then why save me? Why bond with me if it would destroy us?"
He looked away for a moment, then met her eyes — raw, vulnerable. "Because for the first time in centuries, I felt alive."
Her breath caught. "Darius…"
He stepped closer, his voice breaking. "You were never meant to be my salvation, Elara. You were meant to be my ending — and I still chose you."
The words hit like lightning. The mirrors shattered around them, their reflections dissolving into light. The energy of the bond pulsed violently, tugging at both their hearts.
She reached out, her hand trembling. "If this is our end… then let it be ours, not the Veil's."
He took her hand, fingers interlocking. "Together."
As their palms met, silver and shadow merged — light wrapping around them like silk. Their souls collided in a surge of warmth and power, their connection deepening beyond words.
In that single breath, time stopped.
No prophecy, no curse — just them.
When the light faded, they stood in silence, foreheads touching.
Elara whispered, "Tell me this isn't a dream."
Darius smiled faintly. "Then don't wake up."
But even as he said it, cracks spread through the sky of mirrors — spreading faster, louder. The realm trembled.
The bond flared once more — then screamed.
Elara gasped, clutching her wrist. The silver veins turned black for an instant. Darius grabbed her shoulders, panic flashing in his eyes.
"Elara!"
And then, in a flash of light — she was gone.
✨ End of Chapter 11 ✨