The light sliced through the crimson sky and shattered the Shadow Realm. Elara covered her face as the wind howled around her, carrying a mix of voices—whispers, screams, and something that sounded like her name. When she looked up, she saw him.
Kael stepped out of the light like a nightmare made of silver and fury. His eyes glowed brighter than the moon, and dark veins pulsed under his skin. The magic of the realm tried to tear him apart, yet he didn't stop. He never stopped.
"Kael," she breathed, tears welling in her eyes. "You came."
He glanced at her once, his voice rough like thunder. "I told you I'd always find you." The promise warmed her, but the ground shook again—a reminder that even love could be deadly in this place.
Riven's laugh pierced through the chaos. "Foolish, as ever. You enter my realm and bring your curse with you." His silver eyes glinted as he stepped forward. "You're not strong enough to fight me here, brother. Every breath you take feeds my power."
Kael's claws flexed, but his stance remained steady. "Then I'll breathe until your darkness chokes."
Elara felt the pull between them, not just as brothers but as two halves of something ancient and broken. Power hummed in the air like a storm ready to strike. She felt it crawl under her skin, that same pulse, that same bloodline. It terrified her. It thrilled her.
"Kael, don't," she warned. "This place—it's killing you."
He looked at her, and in that moment, she saw pain, love, and something like goodbye. "If I fall, I fall fighting for you."
The words seared through her chest. She wanted to scream, to run to him, but the shadows around Riven thickened. The ground cracked like glass, releasing black mist that rose into the shape of monstrous wolves. Their eyes glowed red, and their jaws dripped with dark fire.
"Then fall," Riven said softly. "Fall like you always do."
The wolves lunged.
Kael moved like lightning, his body shifting mid-leap—fur erupted, bones twisted until the wolf inside him emerged. He met the first shadow head-on, tearing it apart with one blow. But for every wolf that fell, another emerged. Elara tried to summon her fire again, but the flame inside her flickered uncertainly, as if afraid to ignite in this place.
Her magic didn't belong here. But her heart did.
"Come on," she whispered to herself, pressing her palm to the glowing ground. "You saved him once. Do it again."
Light shot through the cracks under her hand—not gold this time, but silver, bright and pure. The realm screamed in protest as if the light was poison. Riven turned abruptly, surprise flashing on his face.
"What did you do?" he hissed.
Elara slowly rose, her eyes shining like twin moons. "I remembered who I am."
The light burst outward, scattering the shadow wolves into ash. Kael landed beside her, panting, blood streaking his fur. For a moment, it felt like they had won.
Then Riven smiled.
"You just broke the seal," he whispered.
The ground shook. The mist above spiraled, forming a massive swirl that reached into the crimson sky. Riven's power surged through it—cold, endless, unstoppable. Kael staggered as dark veins spread across his chest. Elara felt it too—her flame dimming, pulled toward the spiral like a dying star.
Riven's voice echoed from everywhere. "Do you see, little witch? You and my brother were never meant to fight the curse. You are the curse."
Her breath caught. "No…"
"Oh yes," he said. "You were created from the same bond that doomed us. A witch born of forbidden blood. A wolf bound by love. Together, you complete the circle."
Kael roared, forcing himself up even as the darkness clawed at his body. "I'll break the circle."
Riven appeared before him in an instant, their eyes locking like two mirrors of rage. "You can't kill what you are," he said coldly.
Their claws met—light against dark, silver against black. The impact split the ground, sending waves of power through the realm. Elara was thrown backward, her body slamming into the shattered stone. For a moment, all she saw was fire, blood, and the fading glow of the moon through the crimson haze.
Then, silence.
She pushed herself up. Kael was on one knee, breathing heavily, his eyes flickering between gold and black. Riven stood over him, untouched, his shadow blade pressed against Kael's throat.
"This ends now," Riven said softly. "And when your heart stops, the flame inside her will return to me."
Elara screamed through the realm. "No!"
The light burst from her again—blinding, wild, desperate. It wrapped around Kael, pushing Riven back. But it wasn't enough. The flame was unstable, flickering violently. It felt like her soul was shattering to keep him alive. Kael looked at her, his voice trembling. "Elara… stop. You'll burn yourself."
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Then I'll burn with you."
The realm howled as if it were alive. The spiral above began to collapse, sucking everything into its dark heart—shadows, stones, even light itself. Riven screamed in fury, his form blurring, dissolving into mist. Kael caught Elara's hand as the world fell apart around them. His grip was strong, but his voice was fading.
"Elara, if we fall—"
"We fall together," she said.
The darkness surged, swallowing them whole.
For a heartbeat, there was nothing but silence. Then a flicker—a spark of silver light drifting in the void, like a heartbeat refusing to die.