The forest reeked of charred flesh. Ragnar staggered through the undergrowth, every step heavier than the last. His Shadowflame still smoldered, gnawing at his strength.
He hated the silence after killing.
Snap.
A twig cracked underfoot. Ragnar spun, claw half-formed, ready to strike.
But he froze.
A girl leaned against a tree. Silver eyes glimmered like moons. Blood stained her robes, and her arm hung at a broken angle. Yet even wounded, her gaze was sharp, piercing.
She didn't scream. She didn't attack.
She just looked.
Then she whispered:
"…You."
Ragnar blinked. "Me?"
Her lips curled bitterly. "The shadow-born."
[Warning: Host identity detected.]
[Designation spreading: 'Law Abomination.']
Ragnar's chest tightened. "So you've heard the lies too."
The girl chuckled weakly. Blood trickled from her mouth.
"Lies? I saw you. Shadow devouring Laws. Flames turning to darkness. That isn't something a human can do."
His jaw clenched. "Then kill me like the rest."
She coughed, and smiled faintly.
"If I could, I would. But right now… I can't even stand."
Her silver eyes locked onto his. "So if you mean to kill me… hurry. Because when I recover, I'll try to kill you."
Ragnar's claw trembled inches from her throat. The shadow inside him roared for blood.
"Weak prey. Take her. Devour her Law."
Something about her gaze rooted him. She wasn't afraid. She wasn't begging. She had already accepted death.
Slowly, Ragnar lowered his hand.
"I'm not your executioner," he muttered.
The shadow growled in disgust. "Fool."
The girl chuckled again. "Strange. A monster who refuses to kill. Perhaps you're weaker than I thought."
Her eyes fluttered shut. She slumped forward, unconscious.
Ragnar caught her before she hit the dirt. His fists clenched, torn between rage and guilt.
He didn't know who she was. Or why she called him shadow-born.
But he knew one thing:
For the first time since the Catastrophe, he wasn't alone.