Kira's POV
The man in dark robes steps closer, and the golden thread connecting me to Lucian burns with warning.
Through our bond, I feel Lucian's recognition. He knows this man. And he's terrified of him.
"Chancellor Mordain," Lucian says, his voice tight. "You're supposed to be at the Shadow Court."
"Plans change, Commander Daybreak." The Chancellor's voice is smooth like honey mixed with poison. "Especially when I hear rumors of an impossible soulbond between my Court's most wanted criminal and the Light Court's greatest warrior."
Maven and the other assassins stand behind him, their faces blank. Empty. Like puppets with their strings cut.
"What did you do to them?" I demand.
"Simply reminded them of their true loyalties." Mordain's smile makes my skin crawl. "The Shadow Guild serves me now. As does everything else in the Shadow Court."
Through the bond, Lucian's shock hits me like cold water. "You killed the Shadow King. Not Kira."
"Very good." Mordain claps slowly, mockingly. "Though it took you three years to figure it out. I expected better from the legendary Light Mage."
My mind spins. This man—the Shadow King's most trusted advisor—murdered his own king? Framed me for it? Why?
"But why?" The question tears from my throat. "The Shadow King trusted you. He treated you like family!"
"Family." Mordain spits the word like it's dirty. "That weak fool wanted peace with the Light Court. Can you imagine? Peace with the people who've slaughtered us for centuries?" His eyes find mine. "Peace with the people who burned your village, little Kira."
He knows about my village. About my family. How?
"The Shadow King had to die," Mordain continues. "And someone had to take the blame. You were perfect—the deadly assassin, covered in his blood. Everyone believed it so easily."
"But why frame her?" Lucian asks. His hand moves to his sword, but Mordain laughs.
"Don't be stupid, boy. If you draw that weapon, my assassins will cut you down before you can blink." He gestures at Maven and the others. They're still standing there, motionless, their eyes glazed over. "As for why I framed dear Kira—she was getting too close to the truth. She discovered my communications with the Void cult. She had to be silenced."
My breath catches. "The Void cult? You're working with the Void?"
"Working with it? No, child. I'm going to control it." Mordain's smile widens. "When the Void consumes both Courts, I'll be the only one left standing. The Void promised me power beyond imagination in exchange for feeding it both shadow and light magic."
Through our bond, I feel Lucian's rage building like a storm. "You murdered my brother."
"Ah yes, young Cassian. Such an idealistic fool." Mordain shakes his head sadly. "He discovered my plans, just like Kira did. He was going to expose me. I couldn't allow that."
"You killed him and blamed me," I whisper. Suddenly everything makes sense. The perfect evidence. The witnesses who saw me running from the scene. "You framed me for both murders."
"Two birds, one stone. Cassian's death started a war between the Courts—exactly what I needed. Both sides weakening each other while the Void grew stronger." He turns to Lucian. "Your three-year hunt for Kira kept you busy. Kept you from investigating too deeply into how your brother really died."
Lucian's hand shakes on his sword hilt. Through the bond, his emotions are a tornado—grief, rage, guilt, pain. He wants to kill Mordain. Wants to make him suffer for everything he's done.
But we're outnumbered. Surrounded. And the Void crack behind us is still growing, eating the alley stone by stone.
"Why tell us this?" I ask, buying time. "Why not just kill us?"
"Because I want you to understand before you die." Mordain spreads his arms. "You two represent everything I'm trying to destroy. Shadow and light, bound together. Working in harmony. If word spreads that such a bond is possible, people might start believing peace is real."
He snaps his fingers.
Maven and the other assassins move as one, drawing their weapons. Their eyes are still empty, controlled by whatever dark magic Mordain used on them.
"I can't let that hope exist," Mordain says. "The world needs conflict. Needs hatred. That's what feeds the Void. That's what makes it strong enough to consume everything."
"You're insane," Lucian growls.
"No, Commander. I'm the only sane one left." Mordain's robes swirl as he turns to leave. "Kill them both. Make it hurt."
The assassins advance. Maven raises her poisoned blades, but her face shows no emotion. No recognition. She's going to kill me, and she doesn't even know why.
"Maven, fight it!" I shout. "You're stronger than his magic!"
She doesn't respond. Just attacks with deadly precision.
Lucian and I move back-to-back, our bond thrumming between us. Through it, I feel his fear. Not for himself—for me. He's terrified I'll die before he can save me.
The feeling is mutual.
"Any brilliant plans?" I ask as Razor's blade nearly takes my head off.
"Working on it." Lucian's light magic flares, pushing back two assassins. But he's being careful not to kill them. They're being controlled. They're victims too.
But they're still trying to kill us.
The Void crack widens behind us, hungry darkness reaching out. We're trapped between Mordain's puppets and reality-eating chaos.
Through our bond, an idea sparks. Not from him or from me—from us. From the connection itself.
"The bond," I gasp. "We can use it!"
"How?"
"I don't know! Just—trust me!"
I reach for Lucian's hand. Our fingers interlock, and power explodes through the connection. Shadow and light, mixing and merging. The golden-black thread blazes like the sun.
Maven and the other assassins stumble backward, shielding their eyes. Even the Void recoils from the brightness.
But something else happens. Something we didn't expect.
The power keeps building. Growing. Getting stronger and wilder with every heartbeat. Through the bond, I feel Lucian's panic matching mine.
We can't control it.
"Let go!" Lucian shouts.
"I can't!" My hand is locked to his, fused by magic we don't understand.
The power reaches critical mass. The world goes white and black at the same time.
And then—
Everything explodes.
When the light fades, Maven and the assassins are gone. The Void crack has sealed shut. And Lucian and I are lying on the ground, gasping for air.
But something's changed. Something fundamental.
I can still feel him. Not just his emotions—his thoughts. His memories. His very soul bleeding into mine, and mine into his.
"What did we do?" I whisper.
Lucian stares at our joined hands. The golden-black thread is gone—because we don't need it anymore.
We've become something else entirely.
"I can hear your thoughts," he says, his voice shaking.
"I can hear yours too." Fear claws at my throat. "Lucian, what's happening to us?"
Before he can answer, a voice speaks from the shadows. A woman's voice, ancient and knowing.
"The bond has completed. You are no longer two separate souls." The woman steps into view—old, robed in twilight colors, her eyes glowing with power. "You are one. And that, my children, makes you the most dangerous weapon the Void has ever faced."
She smiles.
"Or its greatest meal."