Grace didn’t remember much from her first class.Her pen moved. Her eyes stared. Her mind drifted somewhere entirely different.Every time she blinked, she felt Jordan’s fingertips brushing hers again—the warmth, the hesitation, the quiet promise in the space between them.It was dangerous how one touch could replay itself all day.When class finally ended, she took her time packing her bag, hoping the air outside the lecture hall would clear her head.It didn’t.Because Jordan was waiting.Not leaning casually. Not pretending to be passing by.He was standing there like he’d made a decision—and she was the only person he was looking for.Her heart skipped.“Hey,” he said softly.“Hey,” she replied, trying to sound normal and absolutely failing.He noticed. Of course he noticed.“You’re avoiding eye contact,” he said.Grace blinked. “No, I’m not.”“You are,” he said, stepping a little closer. “You do that when you’re overwhelmed.”Her cheeks warmed. “I’m not overwhelmed.”Jordan raise

The night sky burned black.Adrian galloped across the front lines, the wind ripping at his cloak as the horizon twisted with an unnatural storm. The battlefield sprawled before him like a wounded beast — jagged, trembling, alive with shadows that slithered across the ground in defiance of the moonlight.“Form ranks!” Adrian ordered, his sword drawn, its silver flame hissing in the cold air.Rows of soldiers tightened their formations, shields locked, spears poised. But even they could feel it — the wrongness in the wind, the chill that sank deeper than winter. This was no ordinary enemy. This was Julian’s return call.Kael rode up beside him, face steel-hard.“Scouts report hundreds — possibly thousands.”Adrian’s gaze narrowed.“No. Not thousands. Look.”The shadows on the horizon weren’t marching. They were flowing, like a tide ready to swallow the world.A horn blared. Steel rippled. Men swallowed their fear.Then the darkness surged.Adrian’s sword flared as the first wave struck

Selene’s world was no longer real.She was trapped in a hall of endless mirrors, each reflecting a version of herself she barely recognized: terrified, hollow-eyed, crowned in black, hands trembling as black veins coiled across her skin.Julian moved through the reflections as though he owned the space. His form was solid, yet constantly shifting — a wraith of desire and malice.“You see?” he said, voice soft, intimate, cruel. “Each one of these… is you. The parts you hide, the parts you fear, the parts you could never show Adrian.”Selene tried to run. Her footsteps echoed endlessly. Her scream caught in her throat. “I am not yours! I will never be yours!”Julian’s smile widened, stretching impossibly across his pale face.“You already are. Every moment of fear, every flash of doubt, every heartbeat tied to him — it binds you to me. You cannot escape.”The mirrors began to shatter, the shards lifting and twisting around her like black fire. One by one, each reflection screamed her na

The capital burned. Smoke curled into the sky, carrying with it the scent of ash, metal, and fear. The shadow army advanced relentlessly, a black tide that seemed to grow with every heartbeat, every whisper of despair from the surviving soldiers.Adrian rode at the forefront, his silver blade carving streaks of light through the darkness. His armor was scorched, his cloak torn, but his eyes burned with unwavering resolve. Every strike of his sword was precise, deliberate — a message to the shadows that the king would not falter.“Adrian!” Kael shouted, pointing toward the palace gates. “The inner courtyard — the queen is holding her ground, but she cannot fight them all alone!”Adrian’s chest tightened. Selene. Her name was a drumbeat in his mind, a constant pull he couldn’t ignore. He spurred his horse forward, dodging tendrils of shadow that clawed at the city walls, each one whispering her name in seductive malice.Selene at the GatesSelene stood at the palace gates, her scar glow

The city’s heart trembled under a silence that screamed of impending doom. Smoke still clung to the spires of the palace, drifting into the early morning sky, yet a new shadow moved within it — one that pulsed with intelligence, malice, and a singular purpose. Julian had returned, not as whispers or projections, but as a storm descending upon the city itself.Adrian stood atop the western battlements, gaze fixed on the horizon. The streets below were eerily empty, the air thick with tension. Soldiers huddled behind barricades, eyes wide with fear. They had survived the first wave, but Julian’s presence was no longer subtle — it was tangible, suffocating, and relentless.“Majesty,” Kael said, voice tight with urgency. “He’s targeting the heart of the city — the palace plaza. His shadows… they’re no longer simple projections. They’re learning, adapting. Every soldier we place in defense disappears or turns against us within moments.”Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Then we go to them. No more