over the horizon - sharp, r

r cloak snapping in the cold wind, and t

med run. But another

atrols sweeping through the alleys, the hum of divine energy thick in

found h

without m

hrough the darkn

a mix of calm and quiet danger. The moonlight caught in his si

at following," she said

re just bad

s this how you plan to p

ly. "It worked

seemed to tilt. The bond between them thrummed a

ay first. "Wha

ers will sweep the lower districts by midnight. We

e do

an ancient shrine there - older than the Moon herse

ened. "You want t

es

son she didn't want to name, the th

... what happens to m

"If the legends are ri

d y

wer. His sile

ity under the c

lestones. Lyra moved quickly, keeping to the alleys, while Eryndor

as the Moon Guard arrived - the

t pounded.

You forget who you

er not be

- the way he moved, the way he watched o

shed, even by accident, the ma

of Echoes lay ahead - a vast stretch of trees that glowed fa

. "This place

e dead speak here. Memorie

d at him.

ut something flickered in his e

d by black stones carved with ancient runes. In the center sto

closer. "Wh

he Moon first chained the souls of mortals. If we perfo

e repeated. "Yo

looked - and for the first time

ftly. "But it req

ach tighten

o his cloak and drew a dagger - its blade

nsed. "

"Not like before.

n wh

of his blood fall into the pool. T

our blood," he said. "Bo

her this was a trap - and yet, som

nicked her hand. Her blood shimme

erupted

pers, cries, laughter, pain. The f

eat after me: I offer my blood t

er my blood to break t

fate to truth

it anyway. "And bind my f

cting both their faces - in

and suddenly she saw - flashes

qu

arr

wi

ays, al

es her

es her

the sam

ing backward. "What.

eacted. It's showing you what we were

g hand to her chest. "

tone raw. "Every lifetime, I tried to save

stinging her eyes. "The

the bond never broke. Even

e wind carried the sound of distant

ot completely. Instead, it wrapped around their join

panic flickering.

"The shrine didn't break t

do you

ress, that from this moment on - our lives ar

ened. "You've t

n't pl

ounded. "Yo

m n

and this time, his glowed too.

her like a blade. "Y

sper. "Maybe that's the only way

ut silence - then the trees shudd

erged - armored figures with

word. "You brou

ssion darkened. "They

t's fini

ashing under the red moon. Lyra moved like fire, her blade singing th

he faltered,

he fell, sh

rew stronger - pulsing like a he

aring was silent again. The pool's

sted, her hand pressed to her g

ow, we run again. But this time, we don't run from the Moo

ant, fierce, alive. "The

Moon burned brighter above them - sealing a ne