The night air was heavy with ash and the scent of burning stone. Every gust of wind tore at Lilith's cloak, lashing her hair against her face, yet she didn't falter. The rooftop beneath her had fractured again, jagged cracks opening beneath each step, threatening to swallow them whole. The city below was oblivious, but above, a war of fire, steel, and memory raged in deadly clarity.
Lilith's chest heaved with exertion. Her fingers glowed with molten energy, flames coiling around them like serpents, ready to strike. Kazuki stayed close, matching her movements, his blade a gleaming counterpoint to her fire. They moved as one, synchronized in instinct and desperation, yet the hunter's presence unsettled the rhythm, his knowledge of her past and his predatory calm pressing against the fragile bond between them.
