Back in the eastern dominion the veiled queen sat alone fingers tracing the broken sigil Aya left behind
Her voice barely a whisper but it reached every shadow in the palace
She has chosen betrayal
She has chosen death
Seven figures stepped from the walls
No footsteps no breath
The queen continued
Erase the echo boy
Erase the girl
Erase everything they touched
The seven bowed and vanished
No light followed them
Only silence
Back near the Verdant Rift Azel sat sharpening his blade again
Aya leaned nearby watching the horizon
You knew they'd come
Azel nodded once
Family doesn't forgive well in places like this
She tightened her grip on the dagger still hidden in her sleeve
They'll use everything
Dream magic
Poisoned memory
False pasts
Azel stood slowly eyes scanning the trees
Then let them try
The first shadow appeared in the wind itself
A gust that turned to a blade
Azel ducked spun and slashed
The wind screamed
Gone
The second came from Aya's reflection in the water
It reached up to strangle her
But she whispered a code
Old and buried
The reflection shattered
Third shadow dropped from the moonlight with chains made of forgotten regret
Azel caught them in his hand
Spoke a single word
The chains rusted
The fourth fifth and sixth attacked together
Each with a cursed echo from Aya's childhood
Twisting her fears into weapons
But Azel stood between her and the lies
Cutting memory from illusion
The seventh shadow didn't attack
He stood still
Looking at Aya
Older than the others
Scarred
Brother
She whispered
He held up a scroll
I was sent to erase you
Aya stepped forward
Then do it
I won't run
He looked past her
At Azel
You changed her
Azel didn't respond
The brother sighed
Then burned the scroll
I hope you're worth it
And vanished
The air was still again
But something shifted in Aya
The final tie
Broken
Azel looked at her
Still with that calm silence
Aya nodded
I'm done running
Azel smiled
Then let's start walking