The crystal split open with a sound like screaming glass.Crimson light burst forth, searing the air and forcing Selene to shield her face.The oppressive heat stole her breath, and the taste of iron filled her mouth.Adrian pulled her close, his body a barrier against the violent surge of energy.Even through his protective hold, she felt the pulse of darkness like a second heartbeat, pounding against her ribs.“Selene—” Adrian’s voice was hoarse, urgent. “We have to move!”They dove aside just as the crystal exploded, shards flying like knives.The shockwave knocked them both to the ground.When Selene looked up, her stomach turned to ice.At the center of the shattered dais, the Master’s essence rose — no longer a faint wisp of shadow, but a towering figure formed of smoke, bone, and writhing tendrils of darkness.Its body was unfinished, constantly shifting, as though reality itself refused to contain it.Two hollow eyes burned with crimson fire, locking immediately onto Selene.

The room was dim and silent except for Selene’s ragged breathing.The heavy scent of herbs hung in the air, mingled with the faint metallic tang of blood.A single candle flickered on a nearby table, casting long, dancing shadows across the stone walls.Adrian sat at Selene’s bedside, one hand resting gently over hers.His other hand gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly his knuckles were white.Her awakening had brought him relief — but not peace.The memory of her scream, of watching the Master’s darkness pour into her, still replayed in his mind like a fresh wound.Selene stirred, her fingers curling weakly around his.“Adrian,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.He leaned closer. “I’m here.”Her eyes fluttered open, haunted but defiant.“He’s still inside me,” she murmured.“I drove him back, but… he’s waiting. Watching.”Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Then we’ll rip him out. Whatever it takes.”Before Selene could reply, the door creaked open.Vael entered, his wooden mask fir

The night settled over the abandoned village like a suffocating blanket, the air thick with the stench of smoke and decay.Adrian wiped his blade clean on a torn scrap of cloth, though no amount of cleaning could remove the sticky black residue that clung to the edge.The fight was over, but there was no sense of victory.Selene sat near the ruins of a well, her body hunched forward, trembling from fatigue.Her shadows swirled faintly around her like wounded serpents, reacting to her ragged breathing.Adrian knelt beside her, resting a steadying hand on her shoulder.“You pushed yourself too far,” he said softly.Her lips trembled in a bitter smile.“Better me than you. Besides… I had to try. Those people deserved more than just… dying like that.”Adrian’s chest tightened at the haunted tone of her voice.He wanted to tell her it wasn’t her fault, that they couldn’t save everyone — but the words felt hollow, false.Vael stood near the edge of the square, his staff planted firmly in th

The night gave way to a pale gray dawn as they left the ruined village behind.No one spoke.The only sounds were the soft crunch of boots on withered grass and the distant whisper of wind through dead trees.Adrian walked at the front, his shoulders tense, every muscle coiled like a spring.His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, ready for danger at a moment’s notice.Behind him, Selene moved silently, her shadows hugging close to her body like restless sentries.She was pale, her face drawn from exhaustion and grief, but there was a dangerous clarity in her golden eyes.Vael followed at a measured pace, his wooden mask revealing nothing, though the faint tremor in his voice when he finally spoke betrayed his unease.“This path… it is older than the village,” Vael murmured.“Once, it led to the temples of the First Kings. Now, it has been defiled.”Adrian didn’t glance back. “Defiled how?”“By the Master’s corruption,” Vael replied grimly.“See how the earth cracks, how the air fee

The cave was cold and damp, its jagged walls echoing with the steady drip of water.It wasn’t much of a refuge, but it was hidden, and after the ambush, that was all they could afford.A single lantern burned in the center, casting trembling shadows across the trio.Adrian sat with his back to the wall, sharpening his blade in slow, deliberate motions.Each rasp of steel on whetstone sounded like a promise — or a threat.Selene sat across from him, knees drawn to her chest, hugging herself tightly.Her golden hair was tangled and dirty, her face pale beneath streaks of grime and dried blood.Vael moved between them, laying out scrolls and maps, his staff propped against a rock.He looked old, older than Adrian had ever seen him, but his eyes burned with determination.Selene broke the silence first, her voice hoarse.“She’s still in there,” she whispered, more to herself than to either man.“I saw it in her eyes. For just a heartbeat, it was her. My Liora.”Adrian’s jaw tightened.He