The first consequence came at dawn.
Alisha woke with a sharp ache behind her eyes, her Radiance flickering unpredictably beneath her skin. When she reached for the moon, the connection wavered—present, but strained.
Rowan noticed immediately.
"You're pulling from two sources now," he said as she struggled to stabilize a simple shield. "Light resists sharing."
"I'm not replacing it," she said through clenched teeth. "I'm balancing it."
"Balance demands payment."
The Eclipse Path was not gentle.
Shadow did not surge violently the way light did. It crept. Tested. Slipped into the spaces where certainty weakened. Alisha felt it pressing against her thoughts, asking questions the moon never had.
What do you want?What are you willing to lose?
Her hands trembled.
"I won't let it change me," she said.
Rowan's gaze was steady. "It already has."
Later that evening, Caelan found her on the battlements.
"You're different," he said bluntly.
She smiled faintly. "You don't sound pleased."
"I'm not," he admitted. "The closer you walk to the edge, the harder it is for others to follow."
Alisha looked out over the kingdom. "Then maybe I have to walk it alone."
Caelan hesitated. "Just don't forget who's still standing behind you."
For a moment, she almost told him everything.
Instead, she said nothing.
Far away, something ancient stirred—drawn not by power, but by imbalance.