Selene's POV
The storm had not touched the sky, yet the castle trembled as if the heavens themselves mourned. I stood before the stained-glass window of the chapel, light spilling in crimson and gold over my trembling hands. The whispers in my head, Lucien's voice had returned, softer than silk, crueler than any blade.
You're losing them… one by one.
I pressed my palms together, forcing the prayer out through gritted teeth. "Silence," I hissed, though my heart was far from calm. My reflection in the glass flickered, a flash of black veins threading under my skin before vanishing. The corruption was spreading again.
Kael was standing a few steps behind me, silent as always. His armor gleamed faintly, his sword resting at his hip. He was the perfect knight, devoted, composed, unreachable. I wished he wasn't.
"You've been praying for an hour," he said gently, voice carrying that calm weight that always steadied me. "You should rest, my lady."
