The chamber they locked us in was colder than the cavern, the air damp enough to cling to my skin. Water dripped somewhere in the distance, steady and slow, each drop echoing like a clock counting down.
Aria sat against the far wall, knees pulled close, her breath still uneven from the trial. Her silver-flecked eyes stayed fixed on the floor, unfocused. She hadn't spoken since Lyra dragged us out.
I crouched beside her, keeping my voice low. "You're shaking."
Her lips parted, but her answer came soft, almost distant. "It's still whispering. Even now. Like it's inside my bones."
I reached out, hesitated, then rested a hand over hers. "Then tell it to shut up."
Her faint laugh was hollow. "You make it sound easy. You don't feel what it's like—how tempting it is. Every time I use it, it promises me strength. Freedom. Enough power to burn down everyone who's ever tried to control me. Including Lyra."
The glow beneath her skin flickered faintly, like a spark threatening to ignite.
I tightened my grip on her hand. "And what's the cost?"
Her gaze lifted to meet mine, a shadow crossing her face. "It wants me to let it in. Fully. Says it can make me unstoppable… if I just stop fighting it."
My wolf stirred uneasily. "That's not power. That's a leash."
Her head tilted slightly, as if listening to something I couldn't hear. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm the leash. Maybe I can use it before it uses me."
I leaned closer, my voice firm. "Aria, if you make a pact with that thing, it won't just be your enemy we'll be fighting. It'll be you."
Before she could respond, the door creaked open. Lyra stepped inside, her violet eyes sweeping over us like a predator surveying prey.
"Time's up," she said calmly. "Aria, you'll be trained differently starting tomorrow. Not just combat—control. We're going to teach you how to use the Veilborn's whispers, not silence them."
I rose to my feet, stepping between them. "And what happens when that kills her?"
Lyra's smirk was faint, deliberate. "Then she dies. But if she survives? She becomes the most powerful weapon this land has ever seen. A weapon no Alpha can stand against."
Her gaze slid to me, her smile sharpening. "Not even you."
Aria stood slowly, her glow flickering under her skin like faint lightning. Her voice was quiet, but steady. "Fine. I'll learn. But not for you, Lyra. When I'm strong enough… I'm leaving."
Lyra's expression didn't change, but her eyes glinted with amusement. "Of course you are."
The door shut behind her, the echo ringing through the chamber. Silence stretched between us again, heavy with everything neither of us wanted to admit.
Finally, I turned back to Aria. "If you go through with this… if you make that pact…" I paused, forcing her to meet my gaze. "I'll stop you before it consumes you. Even if I have to kill you."
She studied me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, to my surprise, she smiled faintly—tired, but certain.
"I'm counting on it."