Lyria's POV
The Shadow Knight's sword swings down.
I scream and throw my hands up—not to block it, just pure instinct.
Silver light explodes from my palms.
The blade stops inches from my face, frozen in mid-air. The Shadow Knight stumbles backward, its armor smoking where my light touched it.
"Impossible," it hisses. "Your power is bound. You shouldn't be able—"
Cassian's sword cuts through its neck before it can finish. The creature's head rolls away and both pieces dissolve into black smoke.
But there are still dozens of shadow beasts circling us.
"Run!" Cassian shouts, grabbing my hand.
We sprint through the forest. Branches tear at my clothes. My lungs burn. Behind us, the beasts howl and give chase.
Ahead, I see lights. Torches. Buildings.
A village.
We burst out of the tree line into a small town. People scream and scatter at the sight of us—covered in dirt and blood, shadow beasts at our heels.
"The church!" Cassian pulls me toward a stone building with a bell tower. "Sacred ground. They can't follow us there!"
We crash through the church doors. Cassian slams them shut and drops a heavy wooden beam across them. Outside, the shadow beasts screech and claw at the door, but they don't enter.
I collapse onto the floor, gasping for breath.
"You're safe now," a gentle voice says.
I look up. An old priest stands before us, his kind eyes worried. "Child, what happened to you?"
Before I can answer, Cassian speaks. "We need sanctuary. Just for tonight."
"Of course, of course." The priest helps me to my feet. "Come. I'll prepare a room."
He leads us through the church to a small chamber with a bed, a chair, and a window overlooking the village. It's simple but clean.
"Rest," the priest says. "I'll bring food and water."
When he leaves, I finally let myself relax. My whole body aches. The mark on my chest throbs with each heartbeat.
Cassian stands by the window, watching the shadow beasts prowl outside. The shadows on his neck have spread further—they're reaching toward his ear now.
"You should sleep," he says without turning around.
"So should you."
"I don't sleep."
"Never?"
"Not anymore." He touches the shadow marks. "When I sleep, the curse spreads faster. So I stay awake."
My heart aches for him. "That's horrible."
"It's survival." His voice is flat. "I'll watch over you. Sleep."
I want to argue, but exhaustion wins. I lie down on the bed, and within moments, I'm drifting off.
But sleep brings no peace.
I dream.
I'm standing in a throne room made entirely of starlight. A woman sits on the throne—beautiful, with long dark hair and eyes exactly like mine.
"Mother," I whisper.
She smiles sadly. "Hello, my darling."
"Is this real? Or just a dream?"
"Both. Neither. Does it matter?" She stands and walks toward me. "I don't have much time. The stars are dying, and with them, my ability to reach you fades."
"Tell me how to save them. Tell me how to stop the Shadow Sovereign."
"You already know how. The fallen star contains everything you need." She cups my face gently. "But there's something else you must know. Something about your father—about Viktor."
"He murdered you. Cassian told me."
"Yes. But do you know why?" Her eyes fill with tears. "Because I wouldn't tell him where I hid you. He knew you would inherit my power when you turned twenty-two. He wanted to raise you, control you, make sure your power would serve him when it awakened."
My blood runs cold. "He's been planning this my whole life?"
"Longer. He made a deal with the Shadow Sovereign twenty-three years ago. In exchange for power and wealth, he promised to deliver the next Celestial Queen when she came of age." Mother's voice breaks. "He's been working with the Shadow Sovereign all along, Lyria. The pilgrimage, the temples, even assigning Cassian as your guard—it's all part of the plan to lead you into a trap."
The floor seems to drop out from under me. "Cassian is part of the trap?"
"No. Cassian is... complicated. His curse binds him to the Shadow Sovereign's will, but his heart fights it. That's why he suffers so much—he's at war with himself every moment."
"Can I trust him?"
Mother hesitates. "Trust him to want to protect you, yes. Trust him to be able to resist the curse when it truly matters?" She looks away. "I don't know, my love. No one does. Not even him."
"Then what do I do?"
"Reach the fallen star before the curse consumes him completely. If you claim my power first, you might be able to break his curse and defeat Viktor and the Shadow Sovereign together. But if the curse takes him first..." She doesn't finish.
"He'll kill me," I whisper.
"Or worse. He'll deliver you to the Shadow Sovereign, and the last light in this world will be extinguished forever."
The dream starts fading.
"Wait! Mother, don't go!"
"I love you, Lyria. I'm so proud of who you've become. Now wake up. Wake up and—"
I jolt awake, gasping.
The room is dark. The candle has burned out.
And Cassian is gone.
I scramble out of bed and look around frantically. The door is still barred from the inside. The window is closed. Where—
A sound outside. Metal scraping stone.
I rush to the window and look down.
My heart stops.
Cassian stands in the village square below. But he's not alone.
Fifty armed men surround him—soldiers wearing my father's colors. And at the front of the group, sitting on a white horse and smiling like a cat who caught a mouse, is Seraphine.
But her eyes are still black. She's still possessed.
"Sir Cassian Nightveil," Seraphine's layered voice calls out. "The Shadow Sovereign is pleased with your service. You've led the Celestial Queen exactly where we needed her."
No. No, no, no.
Cassian doesn't move. Doesn't speak.
"Now finish your mission," Seraphine commands. "Bring her to us. Alive. The Shadow Sovereign wants to watch her die slowly."
I wait for Cassian to refuse. To draw his sword. To fight.
Instead, he turns and looks up at my window.
The shadow marks now cover half his face. His silver eyes are clouded with darkness.
And when he speaks, his voice is cold and empty:
"As you command."
He starts walking toward the church.
Coming for me.
I back away from the window, my mind racing. Mother's words echo: "Trust him to want to protect you, yes. Trust him to resist the curse when it matters? I don't know."
The curse is winning.
And I'm trapped in a room with nowhere to run.
Heavy footsteps echo up the stairs. Getting closer.
The door handle turns.
I press myself against the wall, my heart hammering. The mark on my chest glows faintly, responding to my fear.
The door opens.
Cassian stands in the doorway, shadows crawling across his face like living things. His sword is drawn.
"I'm sorry, Lyria," he says, but his voice sounds wrong—like two people talking at once. "I can't fight it anymore. The curse... it's too strong."
He takes a step toward me.
"Cassian, please," I whisper. "You're stronger than this. I know you are."
"I'm not strong. I'm a weapon. I've always been a weapon." Another step. "And right now, I'm pointed at you."
My power flares instinctively. Silver light dances around my fingers.
He hesitates for just a moment. Something flickers in his eyes—something that looks like the real Cassian, fighting to break through.
"Run," he gasps out, his voice his own for just a second. "Lyria, run now before I—"
The shadows surge forward, covering his whole face. His eyes go completely black.
"Time's up, little queen," the curse says through his mouth. "Let's see if your weak magic can save you from this."
He lunges forward, sword raised.
I have one second to make a choice: fight the man who saved my life, or let him capture me and doom the world.
I throw my hands up and unleash every bit of power I have.
The explosion of starlight blows out every window in the church.
When the light clears, Cassian lies on the floor, unconscious. The shadow marks are receding slightly, but I can see them already starting to creep back.
I did it. I knocked him out.
But I can hear Seraphine's soldiers breaking down the church doors below.
I have maybe thirty seconds before they reach me.
I look at Cassian's unconscious form, then at the window.
I could jump. Try to escape alone. He betrayed me—or the curse did. Either way, staying means capture.
But leaving means abandoning him to become a full shadow creature.
Twenty seconds.
The stars whisper urgently: "Run. Save yourself. The world needs you."
My heart screams: "Save him. He's fighting the curse. He needs you."
Fifteen seconds.
Boots thunder up the stairs.
I have to choose.
Right now.