The training chamber deep beneath Shadowkeep hummed with ancient magic.
Silvara had transformed it into a replica of moon fae sanctuaries from millennia past—silver crystals embedded in every surface, moonlight captured and channeled through impossible geometries, air thick with power that made Kieran's skin tingle.
"Today, you break through," Silvara announced. "Manifestation stage. No more half-measures."
Kieran stood in the center of the chamber, sweat already soaking his training clothes. Two weeks of brutal preparation had pushed him further than he'd ever imagined possible. His fae core was stronger, more stable, his control immeasurably better.
But Manifestation stage—the ability to fully weaponize moonlight, to sustain his powers indefinitely—had eluded him.
"I've tried," he said, frustration bleeding through. "Every day for a week. I can't break through whatever's blocking me."
"Because you're trying with your mind. Moon fae power doesn't come from thought—it comes from emotion. From need." Silvara circled him like a predator. "You've been holding back. Afraid of what you'll become if you fully embrace your nature."
"I'm not afraid."
"Liar." Her voice was sharp. "You're terrified of becoming something inhuman. Of losing yourself to the power. Of proving the Guild right about supernatural creatures being monsters."
The words hit like physical blows because they were true.
Kieran had been holding back. Keeping part of himself separate from his fae nature, maintaining that last shred of humanity like a lifeline.
"If I let go completely, what's left? Who am I if I'm not human anymore?"
"You're Kieran. Hunter. Mate. Warrior. Moon fae." Silvara's expression softened. "Those things don't contradict each other. They're all you. And until you accept all of yourself, you'll never reach your full power."
"How do I accept it?"
"By confronting what you fear most."
She waved her hand, and the chamber's magic shifted. The walls disappeared, replaced by a vision Kieran recognized—his prophetic nightmare. The battlefield. The burning Shadowlands. And himself, glowing with uncontrolled power, destruction radiating from him.
"No," he breathed. "I don't want to see this."
"This is your fear. That your power will destroy everything you love. That you'll become the monster." Silvara's voice echoed through the vision. "But look closer. Really look. What do you see?"
Kieran forced himself to study the nightmare-vision. The destruction. The bodies. His own tears.
And then he saw it.
Rhydian. Lying broken at his feet. Dead.
That's what had triggered the destruction. Not power run amok. Not corruption. Grief. Rage at losing his mate. The loss of his anchor had sent him spiraling into uncontrolled devastation.
"You're not afraid of power," Silvara said gently. "You're afraid of losing Rhydian. Of being alone with this strength."
"Yes." The admission tore from him. "If he dies, if the bond breaks—I don't know what I'll become. I might destroy everything."
"Then don't lose him. Fight to keep him. Use your fear as motivation, not a cage." Silvara's hand on his shoulder was warm. "Your love for him isn't weakness—it's what makes you strong. Let it fuel your power instead of limiting it."
The vision shifted.
Now Kieran saw himself standing with Rhydian, both of them glowing—silver and gold, moon and hybrid, perfectly balanced. And together, they were driving back darkness that would have consumed either one alone.
"That's the truth of mate bonds," Silvara whispered. "You're not just connected—you're amplified. His strength is yours. Yours is his. Accept that. Embrace it fully."
Kieran reached for the bond, really reached for it, without holding anything back.
He felt Rhydian on the other side—somewhere in the keep, probably in a meeting. Felt his mate's love, his fierce protectiveness, his absolute certainty that Kieran would survive this.
And he felt Rhydian's power. Five hundred years of accumulated strength, hybrid vigor that made him nearly unstoppable.
All of it accessible through the bond if Kieran just... accepted.
"Yes," Silvara breathed. "Open yourself. Let the bond flow both ways."
Kieran did.
Power exploded through him.
Not just his own moon fae magic, but Rhydian's hybrid strength flowing through the bond, mixing with his light, creating something new. Something more.
His body lifted off the ground as silver light blazed from every pore. The chamber's crystals resonated in harmony, amplifying the transformation.
He felt his fae core expand, solidify, reach a new level of existence.
Manifestation stage.
Moonlight coalesced in his hands, forming dual blades of pure lunar radiance. They felt perfect—extensions of his will, sharp enough to cut reality itself.
His senses expanded outward. He could feel every living thing in the Shadowlands. Could sense emotions like weather patterns. Could see threads of fate and possibility stretching into the future.
And through it all, the bond with Rhydian burned like a star, anchoring him, keeping him sane despite the overwhelming influx of power.
Slowly, Kieran descended back to the floor.
The light dimmed to manageable levels, but it didn't disappear. His eyes retained their silver glow. Power hummed beneath his skin, ready to be called but no longer threatening to burst free uncontrolled.
He'd done it.
He'd reached Manifestation stage.
"Beautiful," Silvara whispered, tears tracking down her ancient face. "I never thought I'd see another moon fae reach this level. You're magnificent, child."
Kieran looked at his hands—still his, but also transformed. Stronger. Sharper. More.
"I can feel everything. Everyone. The whole Shadowlands is... alive in my senses."
"That's moon fae awareness. You're connected to all life within your territory now. You'll always know when your people are in danger."
The chamber door slammed open.
Rhydian burst in, eyes wild, partially transformed. "I felt—through the bond—what happened? Are you—"
He stopped, seeing Kieran standing there wreathed in silver light.
"Oh," Rhydian breathed. "You did it."
Kieran smiled, and moonlight danced around him in response to his joy. "I did it. I'm ready."
Rhydian crossed the distance between them in two strides, pulling Kieran into a crushing embrace. Through the bond, Kieran felt his mate's emotions—pride, relief, love so fierce it hurt, and underneath it all, hope.
Hope that maybe, just maybe, they'd both survive this.
"You're incredible," Rhydian murmured against his hair. "Absolutely incredible."
"I couldn't have done it without you. Your strength through the bond—it anchored me. Kept me from losing myself."
"We're stronger together."
"Always."
They held each other as Silvara quietly left, giving them privacy.
In two weeks, they'd march north to the moon temple. In two weeks, Kieran would face Zarath the Devourer in battle that would determine the fate of multiple kingdoms.
But right now, in this moment, he felt invincible.
Because he'd broken through. Reached Manifestation stage. Become what he was always meant to be.
Moon fae.
Warrior.
Mate to the Beast King.
And maybe, just maybe, strong enough to win.