The city froze.
Arielle had never seen the threads behave like this — all at once, they snapped taut, pointing in the same direction like a thousand glowing compasses. The black tether stretched overhead, pulsing so violently it looked like it would tear the sky open.
And then he appeared.
Not walking, not floating — emerging, as if the space itself peeled back to reveal him. Tall, draped in ragged shadows that writhed like living smoke, his eyes glowed a deep, unnatural violet. Threads trailed from his hands like marionette strings, each ending in a limp, faceless figure. Puppets.
"Ah," the predator purred, his voice the same as the whispers in Arielle's mind. "The little Threadbinder. I've been waiting for you."
Arielle froze, her breath catching. She could feel him pulling at the weave, every tug vibrating in her ribs.
Selene stepped forward, needle raised, the glow around them brightening. "Draven," they said coldly. "Still feeding on scraps, I see."
The predator tilted his head, a grin stretching his pale face. "Selene. Always so righteous. How many bonds did you cut before you ran? Do they know you're no savior, but a butcher?"
Arielle's eyes flicked to Selene, whose jaw tightened but didn't waver. "Don't listen to him," Selene said over their shoulder. "He'll twist every truth into poison."
Draven's gaze slid to Arielle, his grin widening. "You hear them, don't you? The threads calling. You like it. Selene won't tell you, but weaving will eat you alive. I can teach you to take instead. To never feel empty again."
The marionette figures stirred, jerking forward, their movements unnatural. Threads whipped through the air, lashing toward Arielle.
Selene lunged, severing the first wave with a slash of their needle. "Run!" they shouted.
But Arielle didn't. She reached for a glowing strand above her, instinct guiding her hand. The hum in her chest surged as the thread pulsed to life. Light exploded outward, a shockwave rippling through the street and knocking the puppets back like leaves in a storm.
Draven's grin faltered. "Oh. You're stronger than I thought."
Then he vanished, swallowed by his own shadows, leaving only the faint hiss of severed threads behind.