The forest thinned as dawn crept over the horizon.
Pale light filtered through the branches, turning the mist into drifting ribbons of gold and silver. Lira's legs ached, her breath ragged, but she didn't stop. Kael stayed close beside her, matching her pace even though she could see the strain in his movements — the wound on his side still bleeding through his tunic.
"Kael," she whispered, "you're hurt."
"I've had worse," he said, though his jaw tightened with pain.
"You're lying."
He didn't deny it.
Instead, he reached out and brushed a leaf from her hair, his touch gentle despite the urgency around them. "We're close. The cliffs are just beyond the ridge."
Lira swallowed hard. "And the Shadehound?"
Kael's eyes darkened. "Still hunting."
A distant howl rolled through the trees, as if to confirm his words.
Lira shivered. "Serin can't hold it forever."
"No," Kael said quietly. "But they bought us time. We can't waste it."
They climbed the ridge in silence, the air growing colder with every step. Lira's mark pulsed beneath her skin, guiding her like a heartbeat she didn't control.
When they reached the top, the world opened before them.
The cliffs stretched out like a jagged crown, overlooking a vast expanse of shimmering mist. The sky above them rippled — not like clouds, but like a veil of water disturbed by unseen hands.
Lira gasped. "The Veil…"
Kael stepped beside her, his breath catching. "It's alive."
The air hummed with energy. The ground beneath her feet vibrated softly, as if the cliffs themselves recognized her.
Lira took a step forward.
Her mark flared.
The Veil rippled in response.
Kael grabbed her wrist. "Wait."
She turned to him. "Kael, this is what Serin meant. This is where I'm supposed to remember."
His grip tightened. "And what if remembering hurts you?"
"It already does," she whispered.
Kael's expression softened, the fear in his eyes raw and unguarded. "Lira… I don't want to lose you."
Her heart twisted. "You won't."
But she wasn't sure.
Not anymore.
Before she could say more, the ground trembled.
Kael drew his blade instantly. "It's here."
The Shadehound emerged from the treeline — larger than before, its form more solid, its eyes burning with white fire. Shadows dripped from its jaws like ink.
Lira stepped back. "Kael—"
"Stay behind me," he said, voice low and steady.
The Shadehound snarled, its gaze locked on Lira. It lunged.
Kael met it head‑on.
Steel clashed with shadow, sparks flying. Kael dodged its claws, but the creature moved faster now — stronger, fueled by the prince's will.
Lira's mark burned.
Her vision blurred.
And suddenly she saw two worlds at once — the cliffs before her, and a memory behind her.
A lab.
A collapsing machine.
Eli shouting her name.
A hand pushing her.
Lira gasped. "Kael—!"
The Shadehound pinned him to the ground.
Kael struggled, blade slipping from his grasp. The creature's jaws opened, shadows swirling like smoke.
Lira didn't think.
She moved.
Her mark exploded with golden light, shooting across the cliffs like a comet. The blast struck the Shadehound, ripping it off Kael and sending it skidding across the stone.
Kael coughed, struggling to rise. "Lira—!"
But she didn't hear him.
The Veil was calling.
The golden light from her mark stretched toward it, forming a bridge of shimmering threads. The cliffs vibrated, the air humming with ancient power.
Lira stepped toward the Veil.
Kael grabbed her hand. "Lira, stop!"
She turned to him, tears in her eyes. "Kael… I have to know. I have to remember everything."
His voice broke. "And if remembering takes you away from me?"
Lira cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing the cut beneath his eye. "Then find me again."
Kael's breath trembled.
He leaned his forehead against hers, just for a moment — a fragile, stolen moment in the middle of chaos.
Then the Shadehound roared.
The Veil cracked open.
And Lira stepped into the light.
Kael's hand slipped from hers.
The world shattered.
And Lira fell into the memory she had been running from.