The wind howled through the broken estate, carrying the scent of scorched earth and blood. Shadows stretched long beneath the storm-lit sky, flickering with the dying embers of battle. The war wasn't over—not yet—but the tide had shifted, and not in their favor.
Aria barely had time to breathe before she saw him—Kael—collapsed in the dirt, blood pooling beneath him.
Her heart stopped.
"No, no, no—Kael!" She stumbled forward, dropping to her knees beside him. His face was pale, his breathing shallow. A deep gash ran across his side, dark with seeping crimson, and his arm hung limply at his side.
"Finn!" Aria screamed, panic breaking through her voice. "Help him!"
Finn was already moving. He slid to Kael's side, hands glowing with golden light as he pressed them to the wound. "Stay with me, Kael," he murmured, voice tight with desperation.
Kael's eyes fluttered open, hazy with pain. "I'm… still here," he rasped, offering a weak smirk. But it didn't reach his eyes, and the way his body trembled beneath Finn's hands made Aria's stomach twist.
The fight wasn't over, but they couldn't keep going like this.
They had to get out.
---
The battlefield was chaos. Saraphine's forces still surrounded them, though their leader had vanished into the night. Shadow warriors surged forward, relentless, while Ashar—bleeding, but very much alive—barked orders to his remaining soldiers.
Quinn and Lyric fought side by side, weaving between enemies with deadly precision. Lyric's energy blasts sent warriors flying, while Quinn's shadows lashed out like living creatures, twisting around their foes.
But they were outnumbered.
And Kael… Kael was down.
"We have to retreat!" Aria shouted over the clash of steel. "We can't win this fight—not like this!"
Lyric, gritting her teeth, blasted another attacker before turning to Quinn. "Cover us. We're getting Kael out of here!"
Quinn didn't argue. He raised his hands, and the battlefield trembled as shadows burst from the ground, coiling around their enemies and blocking their path. It wouldn't hold them for long, but it was enough.
Finn and Aria hauled Kael to his feet, his weight sagging between them.
And then, just as they turned to flee, Aria caught sight of Dorian.
He stood at the battlefield's edge, half-shadowed, his golden eyes now black as night.
---
Aria froze.
Something was wrong.
Dorian was watching them, his expression unreadable, his body stiff with tension. The dark energy around him crackled in the air, and for the first time, Aria felt something from him she never had before.
Fear.
He was afraid.
Not of Saraphine. Not of their enemies.
Of himself.
"Dorian?" she whispered.
His gaze snapped to hers, and for a brief moment, the storm around them seemed to still. Then, almost too quietly, he said:
"Go."
It wasn't a command. It wasn't a threat. It was a plea.
And Aria understood.
Something had changed in him. Whatever Saraphine had done—whatever power had awoken in him—Dorian wasn't sure if he could control it.
But he had made his choice.
And now, she had to make hers.
Without another word, Aria turned and ran.
---
The Evercrest estate was in ruins by the time they reached the main hall. Walls had crumbled, smoke curled from the scorched remains of furniture, and the once-grand chandelier had shattered against the marble floor.
Elion stood with Celeste and Elyra, their faces drawn with exhaustion. When Celeste saw Kael's condition, she paled.
"Lay him down," she instructed quickly. "Elyra, help Finn."
Elyra knelt beside Kael, placing gentle hands over his wound as a soft, blue glow joined Finn's golden light. Aria could only watch, heart hammering, as the two Healers worked in tandem.
Kael let out a pained grunt, but his breathing steadied. He wasn't out of danger yet, but at least he was still here.
Celeste turned to Aria.
Her mother's expression was unreadable, but her eyes held something deep—something heavy.
"You did well," she said softly.
Aria clenched her fists. "We lost."
Celeste shook her head. "No. You survived. And sometimes, that's the only victory that matters."
The words should have been comforting, but they weren't.
Because she knew what came next.
---
Celeste placed a hand on Aria's shoulder.
"It's time," she said. "You must decide."
Aria swallowed hard. "Decide what?"
Celeste's gaze burned into her. "Whether you will embrace your destiny as the Seeker of Balance. Or let the world fall to chaos."
The words settled over Aria like a weight.
For so long, she had been running—searching for answers, uncovering truths she hadn't been ready to face. And now, the truth stood before her, demanding a choice she wasn't sure she could make.
Her mother had been the last Seeker. And now, the burden fell to her.
If she accepted it, there was no turning back.
If she refused…
She thought of Kael, bleeding in the other room. Of Lyric and Finn, exhausted from battle. Of Quinn, haunted by shadows.
Of Dorian, standing alone in the storm, terrified of what he had become.
And then she thought of Saraphine.
Saraphine, who had nearly killed her mother. Saraphine, who had unleashed chaos upon the world. Saraphine, who wouldn't stop until everything Aria loved was destroyed.
Her hands tightened around the pendant at her neck.
She already knew the answer.
Taking a slow breath, Aria lifted her chin and met her mother's gaze.
"I'll do it."
Celeste's eyes softened.
"Then the real battle begins."
And somewhere, far beyond the ruined halls of Evercrest, in the depths of the unknown—Saraphine smiled.
---
The night stretched endless over the broken land, the air thick with the weight of what had transpired. Beyond the ruined Evercrest estate, deep in the forgotten corners of the world, a lone figure walked through the mist-laden forest, his cloak barely making a sound as he moved.
Aldric had always known this day would come.
The old path wound through twisted roots and jagged rock, leading him to the one place he had not dared to visit in decades—a secluded sanctuary hidden within the mountains. A place untouched by war, by time. A place where one of the last shadows of the past still remained.
The door was already open when he arrived.
Aldric stepped inside, feeling the familiar chill of the cavernous dwelling. The walls were lined with aged tomes, forgotten relics, and faded memories of battles long past. And at the heart of it all, standing amidst the dim candlelight, was the man he had come for.
The last Shadow Walker.
His old friend.
---
The man turned, his piercing silver eyes locking onto Aldric's. Time had weathered his face, but his presence remained the same—steady, unyielding, like the shadows he once commanded.
"Aldric." His voice was quiet, but firm. "It's been a long time."
Aldric pulled back his hood. "Too long, Sirius."
Sirius Blackthorn exhaled slowly, crossing his arms. "I assume you didn't come here for a reunion."
Aldric shook his head. "The Black Veil stirs again."
Sirius's expression darkened, but he said nothing.
"You felt it, didn't you?" Aldric pressed. "The shift. The shadows whispering of what's to come."
Sirius turned away, gazing at the flickering candlelight. "I left that life behind."
Aldric let out a dry laugh. "Did you? Or did you just bury it deep enough to pretend it wasn't still haunting you?"
Sirius's fingers curled slightly, but he didn't argue.
Taking a step closer, Aldric's voice softened. "The girl has returned, Sirius. Celeste's daughter. The next Seeker."
Sirius closed his eyes for a moment, as if the name itself carried a weight he wasn't ready to bear.
"She's fighting," Aldric continued. "Against Saraphine. Against the ones who wish to plunge this world into ruin." He paused, letting the silence hang between them before adding, "She needs us."
Sirius's jaw tightened. "I am no longer that man, Aldric."
Aldric studied him for a long moment before sighing. "Then I won't waste time trying to convince you."
He turned to leave but paused at the threshold. "Sorin has already agreed to stand with her. If you ever change your mind… you know where to find us."
Without another word, Aldric disappeared into the night, leaving Sirius alone with the flickering light and the ghosts of his past.
As the silence stretched on, the shadows at Sirius's feet shifted restlessly, as if waiting for him to decide.
He closed his eyes, listening to the whispers.
The war he had tried so hard to avoid was coming for him anyway.
And for the first time in years…
He wasn't sure if he could keep running.