Time itself seemed to hold its breath.
Selene stepped forward, her pulse pounding in her ears as she approached the Heart of Time. The sphere hung before her, glowing with fractured light. The whispers of lost moments, lives she had lived, and ones she could never remember echoed in her mind.
This was it.
The ultimate choice.
Behind her, Darius shouted her name, his voice laced with desperation and fury. "Selene, no!"
But it was too late. Her fingers brushed the surface of the Heart, and an explosive wave of energy shot through her body, rattling her bones and soul. The world warped around her, stretching into infinite paths.
Let go, Selene, the Heart seemed to whisper, its voice deep and ancient, full of promises and threats. Sacrifice yourself for him, and time itself will bend to your will.
Selene gasped, her knees buckling. The energy from the Heart surged through her, pulling at the very fabric of her existence. She felt herself stretching, breaking apart, each heartbeat fighting against the pull of oblivion.
No.
She couldn't do this.
Darius's voice shattered through the chaos, louder now, filled with anguish. "Selene!"
But her vision was fading. She felt herself unraveling, her connection to him fraying with every moment. The Heart's power was unbearable, and all she wanted was to go back—to feel his arms around her, to hold on to the life they had fought for.
As her consciousness flickered, she saw Darius, straining against an invisible force, his face contorted in agony. His silver eyes locked onto hers, filled with a depth of love that made her heart ache.
Then, just as her strength waned and the world began to dissolve, something broke.
A surge of power, so pure and blinding, slammed into her chest. It was a shockwave of energy that should have torn her apart—but instead, it ignited something deep within her. Her mark burned brighter than ever before, glowing like a supernova, and the Heart shuddered.
No! it seemed to cry out. You are not meant to master me!
But Selene was no longer afraid. She stood tall, feeling her bond with Darius grow stronger, defying the Heart's power.
You cannot tear us apart, she thought fiercely. Our love is stronger than time itself.
A blinding flash of light enveloped her, and in that instant, she knew. She was not alone.
---
Darius watched helplessly as Selene's form glowed with raw, untamed energy. Her mark burned brighter than the sun, and the very air seemed to crackle with the force of it. He slammed into the invisible barrier keeping him away from her, his claws digging into the ground, his wolf howling in fury.
He couldn't lose her—not like this. Not after everything they had been through.
The silver-eyed man stood by the Heart, watching them with detached interest. "She is giving herself up," he said coldly. "It's the only way. Time must be restored."
"No!" Darius growled, his body shifting halfway into his wolf form. "She's not giving up anything. I won't let her!"
But the barrier held strong, the Heart's energy pulling them further apart. Darius could see Selene's figure growing faint, as if she was slipping away from him. His chest constricted painfully.
Suddenly, there was a crack—a fissure in the barrier that had been holding him back.
Darius didn't hesitate. With a feral roar, he surged forward, breaking through the barrier in a shower of silver sparks.
He reached her just as the light around her began to dim. He caught her in his arms, holding her tight as she collapsed against him.
"Selene," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I won't let you go. Not now, not ever."
Her eyes fluttered open, her face pale but alive. "Darius…" she breathed, her voice weak. "I thought… I thought I was losing you."
He kissed her forehead, brushing her damp hair from her face. "You won't lose me. We've already been through this. We've already fought fate, love, and time itself." He kissed her lips, soft and desperate, sealing their bond. "You're not leaving me. Not again. Not ever."
The Heart of Time trembled in response, its glow flickering wildly as if reacting to their unwavering connection. The silver-eyed man stepped back, his expression unreadable.
"You cannot defy it," he said quietly. "You must choose—one of you must let go, or you will destroy everything."
Darius held Selene tighter, his heart pounding. "No. There is no choice. There's only us."
Suddenly, the Heart pulsed violently, a shockwave of energy slamming into Darius and Selene. It was a force so intense, so overwhelming, that it knocked them both to the ground, their bodies burning with the power of the Heart's fury.
Darius gritted his teeth, pushing himself up, his wolf instincts fighting against the pull of the Heart. He reached for Selene, his hand shaking.
"Darius," Selene whispered, her eyes filled with tears. "I—"
"I won't let you go," he cut her off, his voice rough with emotion. "You and I are bound, Selene. Forever. This Heart can't take you from me. It can't tear us apart."
The Heart of Time flashed once more, a blinding light that filled the temple, overwhelming them both. For a moment, there was nothing but darkness.
Then, everything went still.
---
When Selene opened her eyes again, she found herself lying in Darius's arms, the Heart of Time now silent and still. The chamber around them was calm, as though the very fabric of time had stopped in that instant.
"Did we…" she began, her voice faint. "Did we do it?"
Darius's silver eyes were soft, but there was something new there—something that hadn't been there before. "I think we did," he whispered. "We broke time… together."
But as they held each other, a soft voice echoed in the distance, carried by the wind:
"The heart is not truly broken, but it will beat again. In time…"
Selene and Darius exchanged a glance, the weight of what they'd just done sinking in.
Darius kissed her forehead gently. "Whatever happens next, we'll face it. Together."
Selene nodded, her heart still racing from the aftermath. "Yes," she whispered, clutching him closer. "Together."