* * *
We runfor what feels like forever.The tunnels twist in ways no map records.Every breath tastes of rust and forgotten prayers.
“Seren—” The words choke in my throat, tangled in a ragged need for air.The deeper we descend, the thicker the atmosphere becomes.She turns, her shadows crawling over her arms like a serpent.Her breathing is laboured, yet no sweat slicks her brow; no fatigue lines her features.She looks untouchable.
“Yes?”she breathes, noticing the quizzical look I’m giving her.“Those of us born to the dark aren’t as weak as you think.”
“I—” I keel over, hands bracing against my knees.“I never thought your people were weak.”
“You certainly treated me that way.”
“My duty required it.”My teeth clench.
“And now?Am I still weak to you, Lightborne?”
I bite down harder as she scoffs.Her gaze travels slowly down my body, lingering before our gazes finally meet.Her lip curls in a distaste that rings loud in the quiet—yet my skin flushes, and my chest jolts.
“Duty,” she says, the word a sneer.“Your kind has a funny way of idolising dissemblers.”
“Watch your tongue,Shadowborne.”
“Why?”She steps closer until our breaths entwine.
I inch forward until the crown of her head skims my chin.I snarl, “You underestimate me, Seren.”Her name tastes sweet on my tongue, the flavour lingering long after I speak.“We’re wasting time,” I say.“It must be dark by now, and we haven’t heard footsteps since we stopped.We should find somewhere to rest until we can move on.”
We push further into the tunnels, the darkness becoming a blanket.There’s no trace of pursuers—only an oppressive, taut silence.
The comfort of safety becomes an illusion I embrace, allowing light to bloom from my hand.I hold it upright, the orange glow illuminating my skin like flesh pressed against a lamp.
Seren’s gaze snaps to my palm, her mouth twisting into a thin, bitter line.“Why didn’t you use that earlier?”
“It wasn’t safe until now,” I snap back.“You’ve never been bothered by the dark before.”She stares at me, weighing whether my concern has ever truly been for our safety.
“We’ve been running blindly for hours!A little light would have helped.”
A growl forms deep in my chest.I step toward her, my own anger radiating in the small space.“I’m trying to keep us alive.Get your shadows to scout for a place to rest.”
She closes the gap, stepping into my space.“Next time you have something that can help us, just bloody use it,” she snarls.
She turns on her heel and calls to her shadows.A tendril dips, nodding its head in silent agreement before they slide away from her, vanishing into the deep.
They lead us to a chamber just off the main route—small, cramped, the dark stone walls slick with sweat from the heat permeating the enclosure.
Seren finds the darkest corner and curls into it, tipping her head against the stone.She closes her eyes, and the silence that follows turns sour.
I plant myself in the opposite corner and stretch my legs out, my muscles melting into the floor as a long breath finally escapes me.
“What else did you see?”I ask the ceiling.The chill of the wall cools the back of my neck, but it does nothing for the fire in my wrist.
Silence.She doesn’t respond.
I tilt my chin down, my gaze falling to her as if by some inescapable draw.She is staring at her shadows, her fingers coiling around the shapes they make as if they were made of silk, not dense smoke.
“Seren?”I ask, my voice softer now.
“I—” she begins, the words catching in her throat.“I saw the war.I saw the destruction of my people.”
“And the Triarch was there?”
