The forest trembled beneath Aria's boots.
Not from any quake, nor beast's footfall—but from the pulse of power echoing from the cracked Mirror Gate behind her. Each heartbeat was a drumbeat of warning. The gate had not closed after the last confrontation. It remained—wounded, humming, and leaking threads of spirit magic like blood from a torn vein.
Mara was near. Too near.
And the sky felt too quiet.
Caleb caught her hand before she could walk away again.
"Tell me what you're feeling," he whispered, his voice low and urgent. "Don't hide it this time."
Aria didn't look at him. Couldn't. Her fingers were trembling. "It's like she's inside me. Crawling through the cracks in my soul."
"Then let me be your shield."
She turned then, finally meeting his gaze. "No. I need you to be more than that now. I need you to be my equal. My anchor. My partner."
