trembling heart of a kingdom that no longer knew how to listen. Selene and Kael emerged from the enchanted woodland with the bond between them stronger than ever. The Loom of Choice had acc

worry. In the capital, Queen Liora moved with cold precision. The Commitment Council declared an emergency decree: all unsanctioned bonds were now treason. Anyone found carrying an unapproved thread would be stripped of magic and cast into the Threadless Barrens. But even Liora could not silence the storm. Cities began to hum with unrest. Some couples demanded rebinding. Others refused to enter the Binding Circle at all. The Flame flickered. The Heartloom faltered. And through it all, the image of Kael and Selene-hands clasped, hearts unchained-burned brighter. When the time came to strike, it wasn't with swords. Selene led a caravan of rebels not to the palace gates, but to the Tower of Oaths-the same place she once stood with her life on trial. There, she raised her voice and called upon the Rite of Threadbreaking, an ancient magic that hadn't been performed since the earliest Weavers. The Rite would allow them to sever the Heartloom's control. But it came at a cost. To break the old law, one of them would have to give up their bond-offer their half of the golden thread as sacrifice to rewrite the rules for all others. Kael stepped forward without hesitation. "I'll do it," he said, voice steady. "Let them choose, even if we lose what we have." But Selene shook her head. "No," she whispered. "We've been chosen by fate and by