The moment Seraphina said the words—
"Damn fate."
—the Heart of Solvain exploded with light.
A pillar of golden fire erupted from the shrine, slicing through the clouds and painting the snow-laced forest in hues of gold and crimson. Time buckled. The trees bent back. The very air screamed.
Kaelith's scream was swallowed in the blast.
Seraphina's body lifted from the ground, her arms outstretched. The runes on her skin bled light, and the ancient glyphs of the stone embedded themselves into her flesh, searing deep into her bones.
The pact was no longer a tether.
It was a weapon.
---
Scene Break – Verren's Final Mistake
Verren, eyes wide, shielded himself with a pulse of shadow magic.
But it was too late.
Seraphina turned toward him, floating a foot above the ground. Her eyes were hollow suns.
"You killed my mother," she said. "You tried to kill me. You broke the bond."
"I did what had to be done," he spat, backing away.
"Then let me return the favor."
She didn't move.
She didn't need to.
The wind obeyed her now.
With a flick of her wrist, the air around Verren compressed—tight, crushing, silencing.
He collapsed to his knees, clawing at his throat. His bow shattered in the snow beside him.
Seraphina floated toward him slowly.
"Did you think I needed Kaelith to survive this?"
Verren looked up, gasping, defiant even in the end.
"I think… you'll destroy everything… before you save it."
---
Scene Break – When Power Fights Love
She stopped short of him.
The golden glow began to pulse erratically.
Behind her, Kaelith stirred.
"Seraphina… don't…"
His voice—weak, but real.
She turned, the Heart still thrumming in her chest.
He was alive.
But barely.
And every second she held this power, the tether between them frayed.
"Seraphina," Kaelith whispered, "this power… it's feeding on the pact. On me."
Her face crumpled.
Not again.
Not him.
---
Final Scene – The Pact Breaks Again
Seraphina fell to her knees, the Heart dimming but still alive inside her. Her hands trembled as she reached for Kaelith.
His blood smeared across her fingers.
"You're not allowed to die," she said, voice cracking. "Not until I tell you I never hated you."
Kaelith gave a soft laugh that turned into a grimace.
"You… never hated me?"
"No," she whispered. "But I should've."
He reached for her cheek.
And then—
The bond snapped.
It felt like a blade slicing her soul in half.
Kaelith's body went still.
The light in his eyes vanished.
And somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice whispered:
> "One life for power. The price is paid."
Seraphina screamed.
But the gods never cared for heartbreak.