-THE MOUNT

oke cold a

clean after a night heavy with truth. Jackline stood at the edge of ca

ghtened

small pack ove

staff, the movement

spoke a

o small for w

ted, wrapped in low cloud as if the sky itself guarded something sacred.

ho

mo

that w

took the

ed by fate -

lk," s

s circled overhead, distant and wary. As hours passed, trees thinned, replaced b

f never

pressed like a hand against their chests - he m

e he

was stil

G ON TH

Maelor rais

st

d. "Now? We

e's eyes - not st

power in cold and wind, she

roken. She stepped into open stone beneath th

her stance

egan the

ing. Not

chi

. "What you lack is control. You mus

er shoulders, lifted her spe

quick, clean, w

ine b

gs braced. Elara moved again, faster - blade flashing as if wind moved her. Jackline dodged, swe

tched wi

watched u

nodded

ai

a lu

ine t

that sparked pain through bone

ned Jackl

l. Elara blocked, twisting above her

e felt some

e in h

lver ben

k that drove

she didn't command but could follow,

ung th

rder -

rike knocked her off balance - not inju

lowered h

tri

nderst

like winter br

that," he said. "Wildne

not with grief, but pride she

," she

a no

h fogged white, until Jackline moved less like sh

r was not new,

OF TH

rolled thick above the peaks. The moon hid behind them, but

f felt

s shifted under fur like something inside pushed against bone.

tched him

onger the closer we

his fur. His body tremored beneath her palm -

t her

east-

ain beh

ne whi

e stil

ied - just slightly

tangled like a thread. Maelor, with the weight of on

ed against th

ow - not comman

o

e told him. "And when we do,

ng cold - but the wol

ve the mountains

NS OF H

nd day of climbing, t

co

fier

t a

, waiting. The path narrowed until only one could walk at a time, s

ressed for

lowed clo

clutching hi

shifting beside him

n opened before th

h m

a vi

fort

s of

Archways where wind sang like ghosts. At the center stood what remained of a on

e Jackline and let out

gr

mo

allowed - h

s place," El

d, voice qui

swore an oath h

tepped int

ound trembled beneath her feet - not physically, but through sensation,

gasped

he broken courtyard -

os

horses, echo of banners blue-and-silver fluttering in

e not spi

ints - the past

ved slowly,

owed, brea

her shoulder

ead low, as if walking through

th

broke fro

hole. Standing in the center of t

-worn silver. Hair dar

's breat

bright a

lf sti

eath t

figure's - recognition

e came like d

e was. The knight

's heart

. He moved like real muscle and sinew, though she

ho

ghos

ar

ips p

ped closer -

ifted his st

N

n breaking into something raw, fierce, unspoken. Pain

stepped

impossib

ed almo

e stra

cle

beneath the we

s throat

him," she

cracked the cold li

iled

led back a ste

linched li

ce hardened

hing - the moment t

- voice rough with

not save

ot protect

ound to the b

ith fear, but with som

chosen to

begged

ng like a man drowning reaching for the surface. The wo

stepped

arely b

fail me. Y

table. Wind tore through ruins li

stepped

hall - where oath was broken.

lowly - eyes neve

- not beast-seeking comfor

spered, a

e waki

the wolf's head

she mu

aking h

approval, or farewell - befor

reathed sti

orward was no

cal

BENEATH TH

faded int

ng. Snow shifted across the stone floor in shallow drift

urned to

e curse lies beyond

he heir can

chin. "Then she

tone sharply - frost rippli

N

d as thunder sw

ccepts only

heartbeat

if I fail?" sh

orrow, hope, and somethi

s not deat

is forg

owed. "Forg

d without soft

. Everything t

's breat

ng her hand with his fur - grou

for her sleeve

his. You just started lea

shook h

aiting. And neith

roof - silver falling across her shoulde

ned to

ome wi

not beast response,

did not

"But if he loses himself to moonblood ins

er dagger. "Then we'll be r

e met h

you, you will h

steady even as fear

ll of you.

gue, but Terin spoke first -

he world needs

gratitude and grief tan

pped toward

eshold

- a hall of cracked pillars and shattered banners frozen beneat

and a

scent

wrapped

eath thickene

uilt for her blo

s eyes glowed faintly silver in the cold gloom -

life without fla

oor tr

opening into deeper lung - reveal

led out b

it at the

ed, voice

e ba

e didn'

wil

ed downward -

l of Ech

, heavier. The walls pulsed with ancient magic - veins of s

chamber

Columns like tre

rror of black glass

approache

a single step behind

the mirror, it didn'

howe

crown of

eside

a

ma

Cloaked

ms and scars a

unchanged, unsh

recognition like a bl

e's lun

ered into

who yo

lection

lf, no knight - only a thro

her

nd in silver chains beside her throne, e

pped back -

pulsed with

t wraith - something woven f

what y

ine f

ed - low, dang

the ki

neeling, banners raised -

e the g

an, reaching for her - but b

hest tighten

cho

disguised

ice tr

hoose betw

red bright - r

ens only if

stung - not with

e him and t

rror c

ken - r

wed like ligh

ough the chamb

e didn'

ted her

long the wood - sil

like a child,

ur choice. I

then shattered into a t

rang lik

h to shake stone, enough to pull sha

th

s happene

knees - half-collapse

ned ahead, carved

nds on his shoulders, voice

. I'm not

ilver trembling like a da

ed in c

he was to

she ch

o her weight, not weakness b

the thresho

dom or g

o

t of Sil

behind them with a soft sou

artb

arved with crescent symbols and runes Jackline recognized in her bones,

her, body still tremblin

sil

ushed

e

exhaled

did

- not fear, not need, something deeper. So

trust you not

d her grip o

stal of moon-carved stone. Upon it lay an object wrapped in white c

the po

n the

ther's

oonstone floor. She touched the cloth

y a silve

full

t

irclet -

side jagged a

rin carried

arried hal

was wh

metal like a pulse. When her fingers curled around it, a

mo

oice - soft, r

this, let her know -

from a fate wr

half-made, the kingdo

er to rule alone - or

her heart tigh

rp

utside. Her allies. Her

oked a

o hers like a vow sh

om bri

ened that had neve

- chest shuddering - and

ug

in

ma

ac...

fr

art st

spo

l shaped l

ic-mimick

ilence, fragile and raw like a

na

yet recognized as if she'd al

ed closer, bar

ber," she

lver, something like both, flicker

aged - voice shaking

...

en inside her - not fear, n

gnit

fort. She placed her hand on his neck immediately

sta

at was

ed her forehea

she murmured. "Your voice

s eyes - not

tru

hand - responding not to

leaning on his staff, eyes shin

egun," he

behind him, silent beneath

elor continued. "But the path is steeper. T

f - and his voice so

humanity is returning -

straighte

eel now - not lea

e move

ba

pa

rw

eth

ing her name - walked besid

t full

retu

st

wo

tbeat at