Ethan sat on the cold stone floor of his chamber, staring at the flickering fire that did little to chase away the chill clinging to his skin. His heart still pounded from the chase, his wrists sore where shadows had bound him.
You are a danger to both realms, Selene's voice echoed in his mind. Whether you know it or not.
"How am I a danger?" he whispered into the silence. He hadn't asked to be pulled into this world. He hadn't asked for any of this. And yet, something about the way Selene looked at him—like he was both a threat and a puzzle she couldn't solve—sent an uneasy shiver down his spine.
Outside the window, the moon hung high in the sky—larger and closer than any moon Ethan had ever seen. Its silver light bathed the city beyond in pale shadows, casting sharp angles across the spires of Umbra Noctis.
There has to be a way out.
The faint hum of unseen magic still vibrated beneath the floor, a constant reminder that this world followed rules beyond his understanding. But Ethan couldn't afford to wait for the Night Court to decide his fate.
He needed answers.
Pushing himself to his feet, Ethan crossed to the window. The glass was cold beneath his fingers, but this time, when he pressed against it, the faint shimmer of invisible wards didn't resist his touch. His pulse quickened.
Unlocked...
He glanced back at the door. Still closed, still sealed with whatever force kept him from escaping. Yet the window...
Taking a steadying breath, Ethan pushed it open. Cool night air rushed in, carrying the faint scents of distant rain and something faintly metallic beneath the city's stone and shadows. The drop to the ground below wasn't as far as he'd feared—two stories at most—and a narrow ledge ran along the wall's edge just below the window frame.
Swallowing hard, Ethan hoisted himself onto the ledge. The stone was slick beneath his hands, cold as frost and rough enough to scrape his palms as he edged along its narrow surface. His breath came in shallow gasps as he moved, eyes fixed on the faint outline of a balcony just a few feet away.
Don't look down. Don't look down.
The city stretched below—narrow streets winding between black stone buildings, pale lanterns flickering faintly in the distance. Far above, the silver moon watched with cold indifference.
At last, Ethan reached the balcony and pulled himself over its edge. His heart pounded as he crouched against the stone railing, scanning the shadows beyond for any sign of movement. The palace loomed above him, a labyrinth of spires and archways carved from obsidian-black stone.
If he could reach the outer walls...
Careful to stay low, Ethan slipped through the shadows that clung to the palace's outer walkways. The air here tasted faintly of iron, heavy with the distant hum of unseen wards. Every step felt like a gamble—each sound echoing louder than it should against the silent stone.
Then, a faint whisper of movement stirred the air. Ethan froze, heart leaping into his throat as a figure stepped from the shadows ahead.
Tall and slender, draped in midnight-black silk that clung to her figure like liquid darkness—Selene.
Her crimson eyes gleamed faintly in the moonlight as she stepped forward, her movements swift and silent as a blade drawn from its sheath.
"You should have stayed in your room," she said softly.
Ethan took a step back. "I'm not your prisoner!"
"You are until the Night Court decides otherwise," Selene replied. Shadows coiled faintly around her fingers, responding to the power that clung to her like frost on glass.
"I don't belong here!" Ethan's voice cracked with desperation. "I didn't ask for any of this—I don't even know how I got here!"
Selene's gaze flicked over him, unreadable. Yet beneath the cold mask she wore so well, something faint stirred—something Ethan couldn't quite name.
"You crossed the veil between worlds," she said after a moment. "Such a crossing cannot happen by chance. Whether you know it or not... something drew you here."
"Then send me back!" Ethan pleaded.
Selene's fingers curled slightly, and for a moment, Ethan thought she might grant his request—until her gaze hardened.
"It's not that simple."
"Why not?"
"Because the veil is weakening," Selene replied, stepping closer. "Whatever force brought you here... it threatens the balance between realms. Until we understand why, you cannot leave."
Ethan's breath caught in his throat. "But I'm not—"
"Enough." Her voice cut through the air like frost on glass. "Return to your chambers. This is your final warning."
"I'm not going back," Ethan whispered.
Selene's eyes narrowed. "Don't test me, mortal."
Before Ethan could respond, shadows surged from the air around her, twisting into serpentine coils that struck toward him like living whips. He dove aside, hitting the stone floor hard as the shadows lashed past, slicing faint lines through the stone where they struck.
Move!
Ethan scrambled to his feet and ran, heart hammering in his chest as Selene's footsteps echoed behind him. Shadows leapt from the walls like grasping hands, but Ethan ducked and wove through the labyrinthine walkways, barely staying ahead of their cold grasp.
The city walls loomed ahead—tall, smooth stone marked with faint runes that shimmered faintly beneath the moonlight. If he could just—
Suddenly, Selene was in front of him.
She moved faster than thought, her form dissolving into shadows and reappearing just ahead, blocking his path. Her crimson eyes burned with a warning Ethan couldn't ignore.
"Stop this," she said, her voice low and cold.
Ethan skidded to a halt, breath coming in ragged gasps. The shadows at Selene's fingertips swirled like liquid night, ready to strike again at a moment's notice.
"I just... I just want to go home," Ethan whispered.
For a moment, something flickered in Selene's eyes—something softer, almost hesitant. But then the cold mask returned.
"You cannot," she replied. "Not yet."
Ethan's chest tightened. "Then what do you want from me?"
Selene stepped closer, her gaze locking with his. "I want to know why you're here. Until we understand what force brought you across the veil, I will not risk the balance of both worlds."
Ethan's heart pounded against his ribs. Every instinct screamed at him to run, to fight—to do something. But beneath the cold weight of her gaze, his limbs felt heavy and powerless.
"Come with me," Selene said softly. "There is still time... before the others decide your fate."
Something in her voice—faint and fragile as a thread of silver—made Ethan hesitate. Yet beneath that thin veil of restraint, he sensed something darker, more dangerous.
Slowly, Ethan took a step forward.
Selene reached out her hand.
And as their fingers touched, a sudden pulse of energy surged through the air—bright as lightning, sharp as a blade.
Both of them gasped as the world seemed to shift beneath their feet. For a single, breathless moment, Ethan saw through the veil itself—glimpsing flashes of a realm far older than Umbra Noctis, where shadows whispered in tongues older than mortal memory.
Then, just as swiftly, the vision faded.
Ethan staggered back, gasping for breath. Selene clutched her chest as though struggling to steady her own heartbeat, her eyes wide with shock.
"What... was that?" Ethan whispered.
Selene's gaze locked onto his—no longer cold, but burning with something far more dangerous.
"You..." she breathed. "You're connected to the veil itself."
The air around them seemed to tremble with unseen power as shadows stirred at the edges of the night.
And Ethan realized, with a chill that sank deep into his bones—
Whatever had drawn him into this world...
It wasn't finished with him yet.