Days passed like endless nights, each one gnawing at Lucien's soul. Without Iman, he felt hollow, as though life itself had been drained from him. He could not sleep, could not eat, could not breathe without the memory of her. Every corner of the clan's stronghold reminded him of her absence — the echo of her laughter, the warmth of her presence, the way her eyes steadied him when despair threatened. Lucien missed her like hell, like he could not live anymore, and the weight of that emptiness burned inside him with every heartbeat.
Far away, in the Order's lair, Iman endured her own torment. Her dreams grew sharper, filled with visions of Elara. At first, they were fragments — Elara's voice whispering courage, her face flickering in flashes of light.
The guards entered her chamber often, mocking her weakness.
Guard 1 (sneering):"Look at you, chained and helpless. Did you really think Lucien would save you?"
Guard 2 (laughing):"You're nothing but a pawn. Even Elara couldn't escape us — and she's long dead."
Their words cut deep, but Iman held her silence, her heart clinging to Lucien's vow. Then, one night, as their taunts grew crueler, a sudden fire surged within her. Her body trembled, her eyes glowing faintly. A voice rose from her throat, layered with power not her own.
Iman (with Elara's voice):"You fools… Elara never died. I never die. My soul burns eternal."
The guards stumbled back in terror, their bravado shattered.
Guard 3 (whispering):"It's her… Elara lives inside her!"
The Order's leader stepped forward, his voice sharp but trembling.
Leader:"This is impossible. She was destroyed. Kill her before the soul consumes her completely!"
But Elara's voice thundered through Iman, shaking the chamber walls.
Iman (Elara's echo):"I am the fire you cannot extinguish. I am the storm that never ends. You fear me because you know the truth — I was never gone."
Just as blades were raised to strike her down, the doors burst open.
Lucien:"Touch her, and you die!"
Steel clashed as Lucien, Dorian, and the guards stormed in, fury unleashed. The Order scrambled, their confidence shattered by the sight of Elara's soul blazing inside Iman.
Dorian (to Lucien):"We'll hold them — go to her!"
Lucien fought with relentless determination, cutting through the chaos to reach her. Iman stood tall, chains glowing as if they could no longer contain her.
Iman (softly, her own voice now):"Lucien… you came."
The chapter closes with the battlefield in motion — Lucien fighting to reach her, Iman blazing with Elara's eternal strength, and the Order trembling before the storm they had unleashed.