Lianna woke to a strange silence.
It wasn't the kind of silence she was used to—the quiet hum of traffic outside her apartment, the faint clatter of dishes from her neighbor's flat. This silence felt heavy, alive, as though the walls themselves were listening.
She blinked awake, her body aching, and realized she was still inside the vast sanctuary hall Kael had brought her to. The ceiling arched far above, lined with faintly glowing runes. The bed she had slept on was nothing more than a pile of furs, and though it had kept her warm, it was far from comforting.
For a moment, Lianna forgot everything. But then the memory hit—her wrist glowing, the blast of light that had burst from her palm, Kael's eyes watching her in that alley.
Her heart tightened.
"You're awake."
Lianna gasped and sat up quickly. Kael stood in the archway, shadows curling faintly around him. His storm-gray eyes fixed on her, as unreadable as ever.
"You didn't sleep long," he observed.
"How could I?" she muttered, pulling the furs tighter around her. "This place doesn't feel… right."
Kael stepped closer, his expression unchanging. "It feels alive. The sanctuary listens to the energy of those inside it. Yours unsettles it."
Lianna bristled. "Sorry for existing."
Kael ignored her bite. "Come. You need to learn control before the shadows hunt you again."
Her stomach twisted. "Control?"
Kael's gaze flicked to her wrist. "Your power. You awakened it, but it's unstable. Without discipline, it will destroy you as surely as it destroys them."
"I don't even know how I did it!" she snapped, frustration boiling to the surface.
"You don't need to know," Kael said calmly. "Your soul remembers. Your body will follow if you stop resisting."
He turned, his cloak sweeping the ground, and Lianna had no choice but to follow.
He led her down a corridor lined with glowing runes, the hum of energy vibrating faintly in her bones. At the end, a massive stone door groaned open, revealing a wide chamber carved into the rock. The floor was marked with circles of light, their edges pulsing faintly, waiting.
"What is this place?" Lianna asked warily.
"The training ground," Kael replied. "The sanctuary was built to prepare those chosen by fate. You're not the first, though you may be the last."
His words sent a chill through her.
She stepped into the chamber, the circles beneath her feet glowing faintly.
Kael faced her, his cloak of shadows shifting around him. "Summon the light."
Lianna blinked. "What?"
"The same power you used in the alley. Summon it."
"I told you—I don't know how!"
Kael's eyes narrowed, his tone sharpening. "Again."
Lianna's fists clenched. She hated his calm authority, hated how he looked at her like he already knew she would fail.
Still, she closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe.
Feel the bond, she thought. Feel it.
Her wrist burned faintly, the mark pulsing like a heartbeat. Heat spread through her veins. When she opened her eyes, a faint glow shimmered at her fingertips.
"Yes," Kael murmured, watching intently. "Push."
The glow brightened, swelling into a small orb of light above her palm.
Lianna gasped. "I… I did it."
But the moment she spoke, the light flickered violently. Pain seared up her arm.
Her scream echoed as the orb exploded, blasting energy across the chamber.
Kael raised a shield of shadows, the blast striking him full-force. Smoke filled the air, but when it cleared, he stood unharmed, though his cloak smoldered faintly.
Lianna collapsed to her knees, clutching her arm, tears stinging her eyes. "I can't do this. I'll kill myself."
Kael strode forward, crouching before her. His storm-gray eyes locked onto hers. "You will not. But you must stop fearing your own strength. Fear feeds the shadows."
"I'm not like you," she whispered.
Kael's voice was steady. "No. You're stronger."
Lianna froze, her breath catching.
Before she could respond, the massive chamber doors groaned open.
She turned, startled, as a figure entered.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. His hair gleamed silver under the torchlight, his steps calm and assured. Unlike Kael, no shadows clung to him. Instead, he seemed to carry a quiet radiance, as though the darkness itself bowed away from him.
Lianna's heart skipped.
The stranger's eyes landed on her, sharp but not unkind.
Kael's jaw tightened. "You shouldn't be here."
The man smiled faintly. "And yet, here I am."
His gaze flicked back to Lianna. "So this is her."
Something in the way he spoke sent a shiver down her spine—curious, almost reverent.
Lianna's lips parted. "…Who are you?"
The stranger's smile deepened. "A friend."
---
The tension in the chamber thickened instantly. Kael's shadows coiled tighter, his storm-gray eyes narrowing at the silver-haired man.
"You have no right to interfere," Kael said coldly.
The stranger ignored him, his attention fixed entirely on Lianna. His eyes softened, almost kind. "You look exhausted. He's pushing you too hard."
Lianna blinked, stunned. No one had dared criticize Kael before, at least not in front of him.
Kael bristled, his voice low. "She needs discipline, not pity."
"Discipline without compassion is tyranny," the stranger countered smoothly. He stepped closer, and Lianna could see him more clearly now. His silver hair gleamed like moonlight, and his presence radiated warmth. When his gaze met hers, it was as though the weight on her chest lifted, just for a moment.
Her breath caught.
"Who are you?" she asked again, softer this time.
The man inclined his head. "Auren." His voice was calm, gentle. "And you, Lianna… you're not alone in this."
Her chest tightened, tears threatening to rise again. No one had said those words to her—not Kael, not anyone.
Kael stepped forward, his shadows flaring. "Enough."
But Auren's gaze didn't waver. "She doesn't need your chains. She needs a choice."
Lianna felt torn in two—the storm of Kael's shadows pressing from one side, and the soft radiance of Auren's presence pulling from the other.
Her hands trembled.
Before she could decide, the ground trembled beneath them. The runes carved into the chamber walls flared violently.
Kael's expression sharpened. "They've found us."
From the cracks in the stone floor, tendrils of black smoke rose, twisting and writhing until they took shape. Dozens of hollow-eyed shadow creatures hissed, surrounding the chamber.
Lianna's heart lurched.
Auren extended his hand toward her, calm despite the chaos. "Come with me, Lianna. Let me show you another path."
Kael's voice cut like thunder. "Choose wisely."
The creatures shrieked, closing in.
Lianna stood frozen, her heart racing, caught between two outstretched hands—two destinies—as the shadows rushed forward.
---