The path to Kharzad stretched ahead like a scar upon the land. The forest's edge had given way to cold, windswept hills, each gust of wind laced with ancient whispers. The sky had dimmed to a bruised twilight, and even the moonlight seemed hesitant to touch the cursed earth.
Their pace had slowed since leaving the ruins of the altar. Tessara walked with grace again, though slower than before. Her silver aura pulsed in rhythm with Shin's mark, the mask upon her face more serene now—but no less powerful.
Laverna kept to the rear, silent and brooding.
She watched the way Tessara leaned ever so slightly toward Shin. How his hand always hovered near her back, as if ready to catch her should she stumble again. It wasn't possessive. It was gentle. Natural. And that made it worse.
A flicker of memory played behind Laverna's eyes. A time not long ago when she had been the only one to hear Shin's heartbeat in the quiet. When her hand had been the only one in his. When her fire had matched his shadow.
Her crest sparked. Fire licked at her fingertips, unseen by the others. Wind twined through her hair, wild and restless.
Zera, ever attuned, noticed the shift.
"You're burning hot," she said without turning around. "And not just from walking."
Laverna scoffed, masking her feelings with her usual sharp edge. "Don't start."
Zera gave a quiet hum. "I'm just saying—"
"She bonded with him," Laverna muttered, her voice tight. "Just like that. Without asking. Without warning."
Zera stopped walking and turned. Her eyes, cold as steel, softened only slightly. "And what would you have done, if it were you standing where she was? Alone, masked, on the edge of losing herself?"
Laverna flinched.
The fire within her grew unstable. Her wind reacted, curling around her like a silent barrier. Zera held up a hand. Not to calm her—but to acknowledge her.
"You love him," Zera said simply. "It's obvious. And I trust you. But that mask... that power? It scares me."
Laverna hesitated. "You think she's a threat?"
"I think we don't know her yet. Not really. And her crest came too easily. That mirror magic—Falzath used the same principles in their corruption rituals."
A quiet passed between them, broken only by the sound of Shin and Tessara's soft conversation up ahead.
"She's not like the Falzath," Laverna said finally. "But that doesn't mean I trust her either."
"Then let's keep watch," Zera replied. "Together."
Tessara glanced over her shoulder. Her expression, hidden beneath the fox-like mask, softened. The crest across her back shimmered in gentle silver, like moonlight reflecting on water.
"You're both very loud for people trying to be quiet," she said, her voice light.
Laverna's cheeks colored. Zera just smiled faintly.
"Force of habit," Zera said. "Old soldiers grumble."
Tessara's steps slowed until she matched their pace. Her hand lifted, and a soft illusion shimmered around them—ripples of moonlight warping the air, hiding their passage from watchful eyes.
"I know I'm new to all of this," Tessara said. "And I know I... forced something that might take time to accept. But I don't want to replace anyone. I only want to stand beside him. Not in front. Not above. Just... beside."
Laverna looked at her sharply. "You kissed him."
Tessara nodded, unflinching. "I did. Because I felt it was the right moment. Because I saw him. Truly. And he saw me."
"You think that's enough?" Laverna asked. Her voice cracked, the edge of her vulnerability showing.
Tessara stepped closer. Her hand hovered in the air before placing it gently over Laverna's chest, which now flickered with both flame and wind.
"No," she said. "It's not enough. But it's a start."
Wind gathered.
Not from the environment, but from Laverna's magic.
Tessara didn't pull away. Her illusions held. Her touch stayed firm. And her kindness, that strange, unwavering kindness, didn't falter.
Then the ground shook.
A low rumble pulsed through the stones, and a cry pierced the silence. From the trees ahead, masked cultists emerged, daggers drawn, twisted symbols etched into their skin.
"Spread out!" Zera shouted, unsheathing her blade. Her blue aura pulsed with calm authority, the symbol of defiance glowing as her aura surged.
Tessara stepped backward, her illusion field blooming to hide them from arrows. Laverna surged forward, fire flaring around her.
One cultist rushed Tessara. Before he could reach her, a shield of ice erupted between them—Laverna's spell, fueled by her crest.
Zera ducked low beneath a blade, spun, and struck. Her sword found its mark, clean and deliberate. Another cultist fell.
Tessara weaved moonlight around Shin, disguising him in shadows, while Shin drew his orb and summoned Yoshimatsu, its crimson lightning flaring with brutal clarity.
The battle didn't last long.
The crests of the three women pulsed in unison—fire, silver, and steel. They moved together, instinctively protecting each other. Even in her doubt, Laverna found herself shielding Tessara. Even in her caution, Zera watched her back.
When the final cultist fell, gurgling curses into the dirt, silence returned.
Tessara exhaled. Her mask faded slightly, becoming translucent. "I didn't want that... but thank you."
Laverna looked away. "Don't make me regret it."
Zera knelt by the corpse of a cultist and retrieved a scroll. She unrolled it and cursed under her breath.
"They're reporting to Tristan," she said. "The darkened continent is mentioned by name. He's gathering survivors from every failed ritual and sending them to Kharzad."
Shin joined them, his brows drawn tight. "He's preparing a stronghold."
Tessara folded her arms, her illusions weaving a small barrier to shield them from the wind. "Then we strike before he finishes."
"We're not ready," Zera warned. "That mountain is older than the capital. It was once a fortress before it became a sanctuary for the cult."
"And now it's a prison for the truth," Shin said.
The group stood quietly for a moment. Above them, the clouds began to part, moonlight bathing the land once more.
Laverna stepped closer to Shin. Her hand found his without needing words. Tessara mirrored the motion on the other side.
Their crests flared gently—flame and wind, silver and illusion. Zera watched them, her blade resting across her shoulder, her own crest steady with resolve.
"We go together," Shin said.
The others nodded.
As one.
Far in the distance, the mountain loomed, dark and silent. But the crests upon their backs glowed like stars in the shadow. And this time, no one walked behind.
They moved forward side by side.
Together.
For devotion. For truth.
And for the bonds they were still learning to understand.