The wind howled through the cliffs, carrying the distant echo of a war horn.
Seraphine ran.
Her breath came in sharp gasps, her boots kicking up loose stones as she followed Caius across the jagged path leading away from the cursed ruins. The air was cold, biting against her skin, but it was nothing compared to the ice settling in her bones.
You shattered the world once. And you will do it again.
The entity's words had burrowed deep, wrapping around her thoughts like a strangling vine. She wanted to dismiss them, to believe it was just another trick, another mind game meant to unravel her.
But the visions…
They had felt real.
She could still see it. A city burning. A woman in black.
And at her feet—
No.
She shoved the memory aside. Now was not the time.
Ahead of her, Caius moved with swift precision, his sword still drawn as he navigated the winding cliffside path. He had been silent since they'd left the ruins, his jaw set tight, his eyes unreadable.
Another horn blast echoed in the distance. Closer this time.
Seraphine's stomach clenched.
Caius cursed under his breath. "They're moving faster than I thought."
She forced herself to focus. "How many?"
He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. We can't fight them here."
They reached a sharp bend in the path, where the rocky trail dropped into a sheer cliff face on one side and a dense forest on the other.
Caius came to an abrupt stop.
Seraphine nearly collided into him. "What—"
He turned sharply, gripping her arm. His voice was urgent. "We're splitting up."
She stiffened. "What?"
"There's no time." He looked over his shoulder, then back at her. "The king's men are after me. They don't know who you are—not yet. If we stay together, they'll take you too."
A mix of emotions crashed over her. Frustration, fear, disbelief. "And you expect me to just let you handle this alone?"
His grip tightened. "You need to go. Now."
Seraphine clenched her teeth. Every part of her wanted to argue, to fight. But logic cut through her anger.
He was right.
If they caught him, it would be because they were hunting him.
If they caught her…
She didn't even know what she was.
She swallowed hard. "Where will we meet?"
Caius hesitated.
The moment stretched too long.
Seraphine's heart sank. "You don't know if you'll make it back."
His expression darkened.
The truth was written in his silence.
Her chest tightened. "I—"
I don't want to leave you.
But the words never left her lips.
Caius exhaled sharply, as if fighting his own battle. Then, in a swift motion, he reached up—
And removed his pendant.
The silver chain gleamed in the pale light, the small obsidian stone set in the center glimmering like captured starlight.
He pressed it into her palm. "If something happens, find Orien. He'll know where to go."
Seraphine curled her fingers around the pendant. The metal was still warm from his skin.
She hated this.
But she nodded.
Caius took a step back, his gaze lingering on her a moment longer. Then, with a final glance toward the approaching soldiers, he turned and sprinted toward the trees.
Seraphine's heart pounded.
Then she ran.
---
The Hunted
She took the cliffside route, moving as fast as she dared across the treacherous path. Every gust of wind threatened to send her tumbling into the abyss below.
Behind her, the sound of boots on stone echoed through the valley.
The king's men were closing in.
She pressed forward, her muscles burning, her lungs aching. Every step was a battle against exhaustion, against doubt.
But she couldn't stop.
Not now.
Not when everything depended on it.
A voice carried on the wind—sharp, commanding.
"She went this way!"
Seraphine's pulse spiked.
She reached a sharp drop, where the path cut off into a sheer descent. Below, a river snaked through the valley, dark and swift.
She had two choices.
Stay—and fight.
Or fall.
She looked over her shoulder. Shadows moved along the ridge.
No time.
With one last breath, she jumped.
---
The River's Mercy
The fall was a blur of wind and weightlessness—then impact.
Cold.
The river swallowed her whole, the current pulling her under. Darkness wrapped around her, spinning her in endless motion.
She fought against it, against the pull of the depths.
Her chest burned.
Her limbs screamed.
Then—light.
She broke the surface with a gasp, lungs heaving. The river carried her forward, past the reach of the soldiers, past the cliffs, past everything.
She let it take her.
For now.
---
A Stranger's Fire
She wasn't sure how long she drifted.
By the time she crawled onto the riverbank, the sky was ink-black, dotted with stars.
Her body ached. Her clothes were soaked, clinging to her skin like a second, freezing layer. Every breath came in ragged, uneven gasps.
She lay there, staring at the sky, the events of the night crashing over her.
Caius was gone.
The king's men were still hunting them.
And she still had no answers—only more questions.
A rustling sound snapped her back to reality.
She sat up fast, wincing.
A figure stood at the edge of the clearing, a lantern in hand.
Seraphine's heart leapt into her throat.
It was a man. Tall, broad-shouldered, his face partially shadowed by the flickering light. His cloak was dark, trimmed with silver thread—not a soldier's uniform.
He took a slow step forward. "You look half-drowned."
His voice was smooth, rich. Amused.
Seraphine's hand moved instinctively to her dagger—only to realize it was gone. Lost in the river.
The man chuckled, as if reading her thoughts. "If I meant you harm, you'd already be dead."
She narrowed her eyes. "That's not comforting."
Another chuckle. Then, with a swift motion, he tossed something toward her.
A bundle of cloth.
"A dry cloak," he said. "Before you freeze to death."
She hesitated. "Why are you helping me?"
A slow, knowing smile. "Because I know what you are."
Her stomach dropped.
The firelight flickered, casting shifting shadows across his face. And in that moment—
She realized.
His eyes weren't human.
Not entirely.
Golden. Luminous.
Like a beast that had learned to wear a man's skin.
Seraphine's breath caught.
The stranger tilted his head.
And then he said the last thing she expected.
"Welcome back, little star."