The ruins are silent except for the sound of Kael's breathing. His hand trembles as he grips the rusted sword, staring at the shackles that bind the violet-eyed girl. Her pale wrists are raw, her lips quiver, yet her eyes burn with devotion.
"Free me," she whispers again. "I am yours already. The curse brought you to me."
The mark on Kael's chest sears hotter than ever, each heartbeat striking like a hammer. He lifts the blade.
Elira's hand clamps onto his shoulder. "Do not do it. She is nothing. Another parasite clinging to you. Leave her here to rot."
Lyra moves closer, her voice calm but firm. "If the curse binds her, she will follow him whether she is chained or not. Better to bring her into the light than leave her in darkness."
Kael shuts his eyes for a moment. Then he swings. The blade crashes against iron, sparks flying. The chain snaps.
The girl gasps as if drawing breath for the first time. Her body shudders, then she falls against him, her arms wrapping tight around his chest. "You came for me," she murmurs, her tears wetting his shirt. "I knew you would. I belong to you, Kael."
His name on her lips freezes him. He never gave it.
Elira's dagger flashes in her hand. "Get off him."
Lyra blocks her with her staff, her eyes cold. "Enough. If you kill her, you will wound him as well."
The violet-eyed girl clings tighter, pressing her cheek to Kael's chest. "Do not let them take me from you. I cannot exist without you."
Kael's heart hammers. His arms hover uselessly in the air, caught between pushing her away and holding her steady. The mark burns, stronger than ever, as if feeding on her words.
"Elira, Lyra," Kael says, forcing strength into his voice. "Both of you, stop. This is not helping."
Elira turns her golden eyes on him, hurt flashing beneath the fury. "You chose her over me."
Lyra's lips tighten. "You invited a shadow that will never release you."
Kael shakes his head, desperate. "I did not choose. The curse is forcing all of this. Do you not see? It is not my will."
But neither listens. Elira steps closer, dagger trembling in her hand. "Then I will make you choose. If she breathes, she takes you from me."
Lyra's staff glows, her stance steady. "If you spill her blood, the curse may take Kael with her. Do not risk him out of jealousy."
The two stare each other down, fire against ice, while Kael is trapped in the center, the violet-eyed girl clinging to him like a shroud.
His chest feels as though it will split apart. The curse pulses, devouring their obsession, growing stronger with every heartbeat.
Kael knows Thornhall is still far away. Yet already he is drowning beneath chains of devotion, chains of madness.
And tonight, one of them may snap.
*****
The fire crackles weakly in the night. Smoke rises into the ruined sky, but its warmth feels thin against the cold air that clings to them. Kael sits apart from the others, staring at his hands. The mark on his chest throbs faintly, like an ember hidden under skin.
The violet-eyed girl kneels close to him, never more than an arm's reach away. Her wrists still bear the bruises of chains, yet she smiles as though she has never known pain.
"You should know my name," she says softly. "It is Seris."
Kael repeats it under his breath, uncertain. The name feels old, older than the stones that surrounded her prison.
"I was taken by Thornhall long before you," Seris continues. Her voice trembles, but her eyes shine with adoration. "The curse fed on me until I dreamed of nothing but you. I did not even know your face, yet I was bound to you. When you appeared, I understood. You are the one the curse chose. You are the one I need."
Elira snorts and stabs her dagger into the dirt. "Need? You are a parasite clinging to him because the curse makes you. Do not dress obsession as love."
Seris tilts her head. "Obsession is love when it burns away everything else. You would not understand."
Lyra's staff rests across her knees. Her voice is calm but sharp. "I understand enough. Kael is not yours to consume. If you smother him, you will break him."
Seris leans closer to Kael, her hand brushing against his. "He will not break. He is strong. He freed me. He cannot live without me, just as I cannot without him."
Kael pulls his hand back, his throat tight. "Seris… stop. I never asked for this."
Her smile softens, but the hunger in her eyes does not fade. "You did not need to ask. The curse already answered."
The fire pops loudly, startling the silence. Elira rises to her feet, fury shaking her frame. "Say one more word and I will silence you."
Seris rises too, unflinching, her thin form casting a long shadow behind her. "You would kill me, yet you cannot. The curse will not let him lose me."
Lyra stands between them, her staff glowing faintly with stored mana. "Both of you sit down. If you draw blood here, it will not be yours alone. Kael carries this curse, and it feeds on your hatred. Do you not see how it pulses every time you fight?"
Kael grips his chest. She is right. The mark burns brighter with every word, every clash of voices.
Elira glares at Seris, her lips tight. "Fine. But if she tries to touch him again, I will cut off her hands."
Seris smiles as if the threat were sweet. "You can try."
The night stretches on with no peace. Kael does not sleep. Seris keeps her gaze on him, worshipful and unblinking. Elira sharpens her dagger until the sound grates against bone. Lyra sits in silence, but her staff never leaves her side.
Kael feels the chains tightening, link by link, with no escape in sight.