- THE ROAD

self into the sky. Jackline didn't look back. The screams had quieted. The clash of stee

but some battles were seeds, not sto

er ran t

girl with the

w, river light, an

er churning over dark stones as if urging them onward. Jackline breathed through ache,

f slowe

ad lifted toward the sky. His breath came harder, deeper, lik

it before she

on - r

branches. Its edge climbed from behind the tree line

lf shu

flashed s

pulse sna

didn't know if she was speaking t

dn't

dn't

something unseen, as th

hind Jackline - cau

wrong wi

e didn'

owly - hand out, pa

he murmured. "I know

- recognition shining through de

d flicke

lver re

aking breath - and the

r

f. He leaned into her touch for the briefest moment, not as a beast s

ed between th

eathed, "it's strong

e nodde

waking wit

First

ing moonlight like shattered glass. Jackline set her spear in the soil and

orange, normal, safe - and fin

d protecting that crest. I should have given it to yo

he carried in her fingers - weight

th real,"

sounded ol

her, eyes refle

," she said gently. "But hope is

breathe

sn't

ced at t

ut beneath fur like storm beneath sky. One paw twitched as

's voice

Even when he's

eing it clearly f

oment did

cracked i

nimal

n-he

owl deep but controlled, his body between Jac

with him -

breathed, stea

of the clearing. A figure cloaked in shadow,

ying

wl lowered - n

rn

t through the dark

your

to be a soldier, but too sharp to be harmless. A boy - maybe sixteen -

rembled whe

me," he said,

idn't lowe

pe

rd - eyes flashing w

whispered. "Not soldi

ind s

er fell

e paused in

stepped

hunt

answer was

-King. They follow moon-

breath

ed like thunde

cause she had no fear - but becaus

for

onw

des

AND WRAI

settled over the

diers.

or steel - but spell, shad

int did not waver. The river at her back

they arrive

ot with cold, but

ve," he whispere

olf, who stood tense, gaz

blood. Moon-bloo

, low, like thunder rum

ser to him, one hand

let them

yes. Silver. Red. Silver again. The moon climbs in him, stirr

de Jackline - sh

iths, blades wo

tened her gri

learn w

e Shado

drift like mist - it crept, hungry. The trees hushed. The river

breath t

s knees

d her spear

is head - ears po

're

wo

el

, thin, draped in darkness like liquid cloth. No feet touch

ed beside it

e wr

d through the ai

of

d moon

qui

ive, terrifying. Like sleep after exhaus

er spear butt

N

tilted its head - not

y power

make your

ll overcom

e rose - steadi

s not m

est rising quickly. The boy p

olf steppe

as if lightning threaded through his bones. The

nbl

n gua

the hunge

's heart

s flashed red-bright now, not for a moment but long enough to

oved in fr

aiths

her - not anger, but fear of hims

lifted

said, voice iron-true

ed - darkness ben

nd yourself

came withou

es

. It pulsed like a heartbeat she hadn't known was hers.

aith r

lood

er hi

so

fur bristling, gaze locked on h

recog

city hum up her spine

we

me, it responded. Wood warmed beneath her pa

moved - quic

bbed Jack

y crie

oon b

rust her spear

t bu

e solid. It rippled through the clearing li

s blurred, thinned, tore like smoke in a gale. The forest bent with the

th

le

iths ev

o

pressed against her shoulder, steadying her not as protector or curse, but as

and disbelief mix

did t

swallow

t know I

shakily. "You're

at her hand -

she br

st begi

now - like the world recognized som

was aw

se was

was only

was hou

ght Fades,

moment, n

r drifting across the grass like frost. Jackline's hand still tin

ca

r knife slowly, e

urmured, "it wasn't sur

inct - to protect them, not to lead them. But her words felt small

been an

been aw

ering forward, cloak torn, ch

said hoarsely. "Wraiths d

t ice crawl

ced at t

sh as if restraining something inside him. His eyes lo

n red - then

ighting

was winni

her, letting him smell her, letting him decide. S

n't pu

s trembling, breath shaking against

hed, voice

more than he

ne swa

e and muscle - not fear of the wrai

hat he mi

rn him into when the mo

the night - not ple

e you to face

ed - silver shining li

ssed bet

wor

y t

e at M

hing eyes. Elara gathered what dry branches she could. The boy collapsed near the firep

sat besid

eak something inside him. She rested her hand on hi

ightened acr

in presence, in breath, in awareness.

ong

ud

s h

ross from th

n't survive without more powe

e nodde

Leadership - she was learning with every step

ned to

now me," she sa

face worn by sorrow that didn

She saw the queen hide you. She fled with the story

wed, voic

her - serve her. The kingd

's breat

rest

ary w

gle ad

on loyalty to a gi

?" she ask

er

ine n

e not alone

d - not for duty

cked to Jackline

ing followers

- watching flame curl like the

followers," sh

hook he

t to choose t

d in Jackline's

't ask t

t ask to

n't ask

was risi

cisio

ht dee

not return

rs wou

would n

at her side, Elara and Terin watchi

at dawn,"

less. No

tepped

he

e turne

e mou

art of th

he t

se still loy

build a

s head - no growl

something inside her settled

ther," she whispered. "

ed stirring like a sto

d into h

as e

THE ROAD

rned in hesitant song, as if testing whether night still ruled. Smoke from th

e didn'

did th

ad threaded itself through his veins and refused to let go. When sunlight final

e rose

ants of the fire, exhaustion carved into th

Jackline

ation th

ood as Jackline reached for her spear, and something passe

arted

ey fol

tains of

t thinned

ite where winter never fully left. Wind rushed down from them like col

the ridges w

that range," she said. "Before the fall, they

e nodde

ght still ke

gh

wo

ightened o

beside her, qu

ou, others will follow. Vil

ed - not shake

mi

never

would face one

ntly - grounding her. Reminding her,

Lesson

ws stretched long. At a

eed to

blinked

ck and tossed he

led wraiths by luck and bloodline. But inst

ne hes

ricked, tail low, as if s

read her

ou fight. Not

inhaled

iar. The balance felt wrong in her hand. Her movements

struck

harm -

blocked

nd corrected too slow. Her breath sharpened. Sweat built on her brow.

Jacklin

irst

eventually, chest

ned fear," she said. "But also, like

her staff - gaze

teac

er eyes for

nod

stir of leadership not as

ne Who

d again - bringing longer shadows, colder wind, and a moon

d the p

ated. Almo

heavier, gaze flicking to the moonlight like a tether p

ned in

lo

go

din

w. Jackline sat beside the wolf, fingers buried in his

she f

y

wr

sold

hing

om beyond t

e slowly, sp

your

pun toward the dark - no growl, o

ped from behi

silver, eyes clouded like storm-swept ice. He c

landed on

rest at

he w

he b

de

gnition earne

ears for the moon-chi

ed power and gr

r. Keeper o

's breat

protectively

ared in

irst time - did not

his head

e knew

e curse

ened with sorrow,

d him," he sai

ot yet know w

stepped

ce was

teac

- not judging, but meas

l," he

truth of the Guardian's curse

head - eyes red-si

ruth

ld change

per of

round them lik

g sharp a

d - pale, patie

ith her spear

rin listened

e but quiet - like he already kn

ooling like a storm cloud around his feet. When he spoke, his

ory They

n, "there was no cu

ked to the wo

always as

s breath

was barely

s... h

or n

een's guard. He loved the old kingdom mo

rd inside her chest - not

e with once stood on two feet, spoke wit

r con

ght defied him. Too loyal. Too brave.

ire c

wered - not in wea

neither fully beast nor man. Immortal as long as the heir lived. Bound

nhaled

s hand

tilt - not with fear,

t me," she whispered. "

d once - slo

o claim the throne. If the world does

hed - a wound

r hand on his fur

ed. "He has save

ound them both like old

eart is not gone," h

silver trembling beneath red

mind

mons

ap

died her

curse b

her - as if searching for what

" he

ce sh

lean

ow

dropped like tr

A choice, a sacrifice, and

lt the word

oi

rif

us

must be

t be sac

ust sh

r con

that binds him to you. But if you break i

ine f

y, not turning beast entirely

ed her hold

't los

he one day turns against

llowed - bre

e him befor

e didn't

inty did

if the answer was both t

lies the first key to the curse - wi

f, sinking in

orse things you have not yet seen. Every step for

ith him - wolf r

d, resolve forming like

raised

t dawn,"

or n

High Mist, your rea

ire h

oon l

close like a

ng on his neck, not claiming him, but promising

d. "Not by abandoning you - but

ers - silver,

m, she saw

lieve

han she beli

t breath

eaving the castle, Jackline di

omething awaken

yet - bu