The battlefield was littered with beast corpses, their Laws already stripped bare. Ragnar sat on a cracked boulder, panting hard, arms trembling with fatigue.
The girl crouched opposite him, her broken arm wrapped in glowing threads of silver light. She winced but didn't cry out.
For a long moment, only silence hung between them.
Finally, Ragnar spoke. "…You said my name."
Her silver eyes flicked up at him, cool and unreadable. "Yes."
"How?"
A faint smile tugged her lips. "Because you're not the first shadow-born."
Ragnar's chest tightened. "Shadow-born… what does that even mean?"
The girl tilted her head, studying him as though weighing his worth. "In every age, when the realms begin to collapse, a shadow-born emerges. A thief of Laws. A devourer of balance. A… calamity."
The shadow inside him purred, pleased by the title.
"Calamity. I like that."
Ragnar clenched his fists. "And you? Who are you to know this?"
She leaned back against the tree, eyes half-lidded from exhaustion. "Call me Selene. That's all you need."
Selene. The name felt sharp, deliberate.
Ragnar scowled. "And what? You plan to kill me once you're healed? Finish the job for your precious sects?"
Selene's smirk returned, though weak. "Maybe. Or maybe I'll use you."
He stiffened. "Use me?"
Her gaze turned icy. "You're dangerous, Ragnar. But dangerous tools… can cut the deepest."
Before Ragnar could answer, the ground shook again.
Not beasts this time. Footsteps.
Voices.
"Tracks here! The Law Thief bled heavily—he can't be far!"
Selene's eyes sharpened. "Bounty hunters. At least ten."
Ragnar's claws twitched to life. His shadow writhed eagerly.
Selene pushed herself to her feet, wincing but steady. "Looks like our little talk will have to wait."
Ragnar exhaled slowly, standing tall beside her. His eyes burned with darkness and flame.
"Then let them come."