The wind howled through the ancient ruins like a mournful song, echoing the weight of the decision Aria had just made.
She stood in the heart of the Hollowed Vale, where the veil between realms thinned under the light of the Blood Moon. Caleb's fingers were still laced in hers, warm, grounding. Around them, the Circle watched in tense silence—Rowan, Solene, Elena, even Lorian, bound now by truce if not trust.
The air buzzed with something older than magic. Something watching.
"I felt her," Aria whispered. "Mara is not gone. She's part of the Eclipse. Part of me."
"No," Caleb said, his voice soft but firm, pulling her close, his forehead resting against hers. "You are not her. You never were."
Her lashes fluttered shut. "Then why do I hear her in the silence?"
A long pause. Then Caleb's hands found her face. "Because part of her came from you. And you're the one who has to end it."
Before she could answer, the sky cracked open.
