The cavern's walls seemed to close in on them, the air thick with the stench of blood and the heavy hum of arcane energy. The Guildhound lay motionless at their feet, still suspended in Selene's grasp, its body twitching, trying and failing to break free from her invisible hold.
Jace stood at the center of it all, his body trembling with the aftershock of the power coursing through him. The shard inside of him had been quiet for a moment, as though it, too, was contemplating what had just transpired. The pulsing power within him was undeniable, but now, it was tempered with something else—a nagging doubt that lingered at the edges of his mind.
"Let it go, Jace," Selene's voice cut through the silence like a knife. She stood beside him, her eyes locked onto the frozen beast, but her focus was entirely on him. "You don't need to control it. Not yet."
Jace gritted his teeth. He didn't know what had happened—why the shard hadn't taken control like it had in the past. The energy inside him had been desperate to break free, but it had been stifled. Not by his will, but by hers.
Selene turned her head slightly, her gaze soft but commanding. "You think you can control this power by force? You're not the only one who's been touched by it. I can show you how to wield it. How to embrace it."
Zariah, who had been standing at the entrance to the cavern, took a step forward. She eyed Selene warily, her posture stiff. "Enough with the games, Selene. This isn't the time for offers. The Guildhound's not the only problem here. We need to move. Now."
Selene's lips curved into a smile, but there was no humor in it—only something darker. "And where will you go, Zariah? The path ahead is more treacherous than you think. You've already seen what's lurking in the shadows."
Jace could feel Zariah's eyes on him, her gaze fierce but hesitant. She didn't trust Selene, and Jace could see why. There was a danger in the woman—a calculated, predatory grace that made it hard to know whether she was a friend or a foe.
"We don't have time for this," Zariah snapped, but there was an edge of uncertainty in her voice. "We need to regroup and figure out what's really going on. All this… power—it's dangerous, and it's not just the Guildhounds we have to worry about."
Jace's thoughts swirled. Zariah was right. The Guildhounds were just the beginning, but there was more. Much more. He could feel it. The presence of something far darker was on the horizon.
Selene's voice broke through his thoughts. "The Guildhounds are just pawns in a much larger game, Jace. You know this. You feel it. There's a force—an old one—stirring beneath this city. And it's coming for you."
Jace's jaw tightened as the words sank in. The shard in his chest seemed to pulse in agreement, as though it, too, recognized the truth in her words. The power that had been awakening inside him wasn't just about destruction. It was a signal, a beacon drawing the attention of forces beyond their comprehension.
"You've been chosen," Selene continued, her voice a whisper now, as though she were letting him in on a secret. "The question is, will you embrace it, or will you fight it?"
Jace's hand tightened around the hilt of his dagger, his fingers still slick with the blood of the Guildhound. He had never wanted to be part of something bigger than himself—never wanted to be a pawn in someone else's game. But now, standing here, with the power of the shard thrumming beneath his skin, he knew there was no going back.
"What's the plan, then?" he asked, his voice steady despite the chaos in his chest. "If this city's as dangerous as you say, what do we do next?"
Selene's smile deepened, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Next? We gather allies. We prepare. We face whatever comes for us, head-on. But before we do, you'll need to learn how to control the shard."
Jace shook his head, frustration bubbling to the surface. "I don't need your help."
Zariah took a step forward, her voice calmer now. "Maybe not. But you'll need all the help you can get, Jace. You're not alone in this."
Jace glanced between them, feeling the weight of their words pressing down on him. The shard inside him pulsed, its influence tempting him to give in, to let it take over. But the presence of Selene, and the uncertainty of her motives, kept him grounded.
"I'll decide when the time's right," Jace said, more to himself than anyone else. He turned away from them, heading toward the narrow path leading out of the cavern. "I'm not your pawn. I'll find my own way."
Zariah followed him, her expression unreadable, but Selene didn't move. Instead, her eyes lingered on Jace's retreating figure, her smile never fading.
"We'll see," she murmured, almost to herself. "We'll see, Jace."
As they made their way out of the cavern, the silence that followed was oppressive. The weight of their choices, the tension between them, hung in the air like a thick fog, and Jace couldn't shake the feeling that the game had just begun.
But this time, he wasn't going to be the one who played by the rules.