[Dark Forest—Lavinia's POV]
The blade hummed faintly in my grip, its edge pressed to the soft skin of his throat. The only light in this suffocating forest was the pale moon and… Marshi's divine flames licking the shadows, turning every tree into a torch of judgment.
One push. One breath too sharp—Caelum Virell's blood would water the ground.
He smirked through split lips, crimson glistening at the corner of his mouth. "I… never thought you'd track me down so quickly, Lavi."
"Lavi?" My laugh cracked like a whip, sharp enough to make even the night recoil. "How bold. Are you hoping to make me your friend now, Caelum? After betraying me all these years."
His chuckle rang hollow, brittle as glass about to break. Fear shimmered in his eyes, but arrogance still coiled behind it—the kind of arrogance that thought shadows would always offer him escape.
