The storm didn't come from the sky. It came from the heavens.
Riverbend trembled beneath it—rain slashing sideways, lightning curling in unnatural spirals, the sky bleeding shades of gold and green that had no place in the mortal world. Lila stood in the doorway of her café, the smell of coffee and ozone thick in the air. She hugged her arms around herself, staring at the reflection of the chaos in the puddles.
Something was wrong. The storm felt alive. Every gust carried a pulse, like the heartbeat of something furious. Beneath her jacket, the silver feather she'd hidden against her chest thrummed in answer, hot against her skin.
She wasn't imagining this. She could feel the same energy she'd felt the night Adrian first appeared—wild, golden, ancient. But there was something else layered through it now: pain.
Then, a flash.
A line of green light split the clouds, and in that light she saw him—Elior—standing on the rooftop across the street. His wings glimmered faintly before dissolving into mist, his aura wrapping him like a halo of calm in the storm. His voice carried through the wind, steady but urgent.
"Lila! Inside, now!"
She hesitated. "What's happening?"
He landed lightly in front of her, soaked through but still radiant, green light flickering around his hands. "Adrian broke the Oath."
The words sent a shiver down her spine. "What does that mean?"
Before Elior could answer, the air behind him twisted. The golden glow that haunted her dreams bled through the rain, forming into a tall silhouette. Roses bloomed across the street in perfect spirals, petals opening even in the downpour—then catching fire and burning to ash.
Adrian.
He walked forward, unhurried, rain hissing off him as if afraid to touch him. "Broke it?" he repeated softly. "No, Elior. I shattered it."
Elior's jaw clenched. "Do you know what you've done? The Concord will come for you."
Adrian's smile curved, sharp and sorrowful all at once. "They already have. Virel sent the storm to erase me." His eyes met Lila's. "But I wasn't leaving without saying goodbye."
Lila's heart thudded painfully. "Goodbye?"
"You think I didn't feel it?" he said, voice low. "The bond between us—it's real. They'll try to break it, twist it, but I won't let them. Not this time."
Elior stepped between them, his wings flaring faintly. "Don't speak to her."
Adrian's gaze flicked to him, golden eyes narrowing. "Still the dutiful soldier." He tilted his head. "Tell me, Elior, how long will you keep pretending that vow of yours is mercy, not a leash?"
Elior didn't flinch. "I protect what's sacred."
"And I protect what's free." Adrian's tone softened, almost gentle. "You still don't understand. Love without choice isn't love—it's obedience."
Lightning cracked again, close enough to rattle the windows. Lila pressed her hand against her chest, feeling the feather pulse stronger, brighter. Both their energies were calling to it—green light, golden flame, pulling her in opposite directions.
"Stop!" she shouted suddenly. The sound echoed louder than thunder, rippling through the air. The storm stilled. Rain hung frozen mid-fall. Both men froze too, staring at her.
Lila stepped forward, her voice shaking but clear. "You're both doing the same thing. You keep saying you want to save me, but all I see are two men trying to decide my fate for me."
Adrian blinked, surprise flickering across his face. Elior's shoulders tensed, his expression unreadable.
"You don't understand what he's done," Elior said quietly.
"I understand enough," she cut in. "The Concord wants balance. Adrian wants chaos. And somewhere in between, I'm supposed to give up who I am just to make it easier for either of you to feel right."
Adrian took a step toward her, softer now. "That's not what I—"
"Yes, it is," she said, eyes bright. "You talk about freedom, but you still came here to claim me."
The words hit him like a physical blow. For a heartbeat, his glow dimmed.
Elior's gaze softened. "Lila, I never meant to—"
"But you did," she whispered. "You both did."
The feather beneath her jacket flared again, its light spilling through the fabric until it was blinding. She pulled it free, holding it out in front of her. The silver plume shimmered violently, threads of gold and green sparking across it.
"What are you doing?" Elior asked, stepping closer.
"I don't know," she said honestly. "Maybe… listening."
The light grew, spreading outward in rings that lifted her hair and skirt like a breeze made of starlight. Rain began to fall again—but it wasn't rain anymore. It was feathers. Silver, gold, and green, drifting down around them.
Adrian stared, awe replacing defiance. "She's awakening."
The café behind them shook, its windows fracturing as though the building itself couldn't contain the energy swelling inside her. The feather in her hand vibrated until it sang—a pure, beautiful note that made her chest ache.
Elior reached for her, voice raw. "Lila, stop! You'll tear the veil apart!"
She looked at him, her eyes glowing faintly now, the reflection of both his light and Adrian's. "Maybe that's what's needed."
Adrian took another step forward, his golden aura brightening, though he didn't dare touch her. "If you open that gate, the Concord will see you. They'll mark you."
"I'm already marked," she said softly. "I just didn't know by who."
The storm outside built again—wind screaming, thunder splitting the sky. Between them, the feather burst into shards of light, each one spinning faster until they formed a circle around her. The air shimmered, alive with celestial energy.
Adrian shielded his eyes. "Lila, listen to me—if you step through that light, there's no going back!"
Elior's voice rose over the chaos. "Lila! Let it go! You're not ready!"
She looked between them, torn—two sides of love, both true, both flawed. Her voice, when it came, was small but steady.
"I'm done being told what I'm ready for."
With that, she took a single step forward into the circle.
Light exploded. The storm vanished. Sound folded inward. For a heartbeat, there was nothing but silence.
Then, when her feet touched the ground again, the world had changed. The rain had stopped. The city was eerily still.
Elior was on his knees, his wings flickering. Adrian stood a few feet away, his glow dimmed, eyes wide with disbelief.
Lila looked down at her hands. The feather was gone—but a faint silver mark now shimmered over her heart, shaped like a wing.
She could feel it—the power thrumming inside her, vast and wild and hers.
When she spoke, her voice carried through the quiet air like a whisper that reached beyond worlds.
"The Oath is broken," she said. "And I'm not anyone's to save."
Lightning flashed one last time on the horizon, and somewhere beyond the clouds, the Concord stirred.
The storm was over.
But the war had just begun.