The night forest was no longer still. What had been a fragile peace—firelight, whispered vows, Selene's rare vulnerability—fractured with a sound like glass breaking beneath the earth.
Iris jolted upright, her heart thudding. Luna's arm immediately wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer, shielding without thought. Across the dying fire, Selene was already on her feet, sword drawn, her eyes glowing faint silver beneath the moonlight.
The shadows moved.
They slithered between the trees, darker than the natural night, bending the very air as they advanced. Their shapes were vague, shifting, as though smoke had learned to crawl. And from within their depths came whispers—low, venomous, carrying words that didn't belong to human tongues.
The wraiths had arrived.
"Stay close to me," Luna whispered, voice taut but steady.
Iris clutched her hand, her other hand reaching instinctively for her satchel. "I won't slow you down."
Luna's eyes flicked toward her, softened for half a heartbeat, then hardened again as the first wraith lunged.
Selene met it with a strike swift as lightning. Her blade passed through shadow, the creature shrieking as though cut by more than steel. Yet two more emerged, their claws reaching, their mouths stretching wider than faces should.
Luna drew her dagger, movements fluid and precise, each strike illuminated by the silver flame of her resolve. She fought like someone born to command the dance of battle.
But Iris—she was not born a fighter. And yet, as she watched the woman she loved surrounded by darkness, something inside her ignited.
She grabbed a piece of half-charred wood from the fire, its tip glowing faint orange, and held it aloft like a torch. The wraiths recoiled, hissing.
"Light!" Iris cried, her voice breaking through the chaos. "They hate the light!"
Selene's gaze darted to her, and for the first time, approval flickered in her eyes.
"Iris, keep it burning," she commanded. "Don't falter."
The wraiths encircled them, weaving in and out, never fully committing, feeding on fear. Their whispers thickened, rising above the crackle of the fire.
I know you.
You are nothing.
She will leave you.
Iris's grip trembled, but Luna's hand found hers again, grounding her.
"Don't listen," Luna whispered fiercely. "It's a lie."
The words grew sharper.
Selene…
That voice. It was not just the wraiths now—it was clearer, melodic, painfully familiar. Selene stiffened as though struck.
"Seraphine," she breathed.
The shadows thickened at the name, pressing in like a tide.
"I can see you," the voice purred through the air, too close, too intimate. "You still wear my mark. You still bleed my name."
Selene staggered, her sword dipping. For the first time, Iris saw not the unshakable guardian, but a woman haunted.
Luna lunged forward, cutting down another wraith that sought to slip past Selene's faltering guard. "Focus, Selene!" she barked. "She's trying to break you!"
But Seraphine's voice only grew stronger.
"You swore to protect me, remember? And then you abandoned me. Betrayed me." A bitter laugh rippled through the forest. "Do you tell your little companions the truth? That you loved me, once? That you chose the blade over my heart?"
Selene roared, forcing herself upright, her sword cleaving through the nearest shadow. But her face was a mask of torment.
The wraiths surged again. One lunged straight at Iris, its claws grazing her arm, icy pain lancing through her. She stumbled, almost dropping her torch—but Luna was there, pulling her close, striking the creature down in a flash of steel.
"Iris!" Luna's voice cracked with fear. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Iris gasped, though blood trickled down her sleeve. Her fear threatened to swamp her—but then she saw Selene faltering, saw Luna torn between fighting and protecting her. If she gave in now, they would all fall.
Her eyes landed on the pouch at her hip—the small sketchbook she never traveled without. Her art, her light.
With shaking hands, she tore a page free, pressed charcoal to it, drawing in frantic strokes. The shape of a lantern, lines bold, flame bright.
"Iris—now isn't the time—" Luna began.
But the moment Iris held the page toward the fire, the charcoal glowed. The drawn flame flared into life, a sudden burst of brightness flooding the clearing.
The wraiths shrieked, staggering back, their whispers breaking into raw screams.
Luna's jaw dropped, eyes wide. "How—?"
Iris, panting, whispered, "I don't know. I just… knew it would work."
Selene's gaze snapped to her, shock flashing across her usually stoic face. "You wield creation," she murmured. "Ink and thought, given form."
Iris didn't understand—but she didn't need to. She only knew that the light had bought them a chance.
The battle raged on. Selene fought with renewed fury, her blade glowing faint in Iris's light. Luna moved like fire itself, every strike protecting Iris, every glance checking she was still safe.
But it was Iris who surprised them both—again and again, she sketched and tore, creating fleeting bursts of light, sparks of warmth, fragile shields against the dark. Her body trembled with exhaustion, yet she pushed on, because every time her hand faltered, Luna's voice pulled her back.
"You're stronger than you think, Iris."
"You're my light."
"I need you."
And Iris believed her. Believed enough to keep standing.
The Woman in Black finally revealed herself.
She stepped from the shadows with a grace that silenced even the wraiths. Her gown flowed like liquid night, her eyes glowed with a hunger that chilled Iris's blood.
Closer than ever before.
Luna tensed, pulling Iris behind her, dagger poised. Selene lifted her sword, though her hands trembled faintly.
The Woman in Black smiled. "So much love here. So much fear. It makes the sweetest wine." Her gaze lingered on Iris, sharp and curious. "And you… little artist. You should not exist. And yet—your light burns."
Iris's knees threatened to give way. Luna held her tighter.
"You'll never touch her," Luna hissed, every word sharp as steel.
The Woman's laugh was low, dangerous. "We shall see."
Then the shadows surged again, drowning the clearing.
By the time the night broke, the fire was extinguished, the ground scarred with ash.
Iris and Luna staggered away together, both bloodied, both trembling. Selene followed, silent, her expression unreadable.
But as Iris glanced back, just once, she saw the Woman in Black standing at the edge of the trees, untouched, her smile serene.
The whispers followed them into the dark:
Your love cannot save you.