Snow spiraled upward.
The wind stopped.
The world went unnervingly still.
Kanah clutched Owain's arm as the ground beneath her glowed with threads of silver, violet, and white — three bloodlines wrestling under her skin.
Her breath hitched.
Her voice trembled.
"Owain… I'm not ready to choose… I can't…"
Owain pulled her immediately behind him, snarling at the empty air as if he could fight the First King himself.
"You don't have to choose."
His voice was fierce.
Desperate.
Protective.
His hand tightened around hers.
"I won't let him force you—"
But the First King's voice cut him off.
"Time remaining: fifty-nine minutes."
Kanah flinched.
Gerrin staggered forward, leaning heavily on his staff.
"Owain—listen to me."
He swallowed hard, pale from exhaustion and fear.
"She has to choose. If she doesn't, the trial will collapse her heart."
Owain's head snapped toward him, eyes blazing.
"She's not choosing ANYTHING. This is manipulation — this is torture —"
Gerrin shook his head violently.
"It doesn't matter. The rules are older than the kingdoms. This is how the First King tested rulers. The heir had to anchor their first mate-bond… or their body would reject the crowns."
Kanah's breathing quickened.
"No… no, please, there has to be another way—"
Yllas stepped forward, barely standing, blood running down his abdomen.
"Kanah."
His voice was soft.
Strained.
Pained.
"You shouldn't make a choice in fear."
Kanah's eyes filled with tears.
"I don't want to choose at all."
Helion dragged himself upright with a grunt, curse marks burning viciously across his skin.
"You don't have to love one more than the others."
His voice was rough, but gentle.
"This isn't about romance."
Gerrin nodded grimly.
"It's about survival. About stability. The first bond anchors your magic. The rest can form later."
Kanah shook her head, trembling violently.
"But choosing one means the others—"
Owain turned to her instantly, grabbing her shoulders just firmly enough to steady her.
"Kanah, look at me."
She tried.
Her vision blurred with tears.
Owain cupped her cheeks gently.
"Choosing doesn't mean losing us."
His voice softened.
"You won't lose me. Ever."
Her breath quivered.
"But I—"
"You won't lose me," he repeated firmly.
Yllas nodded, hand pressed to his bleeding wound.
"You won't lose me either."
Helion smirked faintly, wiping blood from his mouth.
"You're stuck with me until I'm old and wrinkled. And we both know Leopards age beautifully."
Gerrin managed a weak smile.
"I'm not going anywhere either."
Kanah covered her face with shaking hands.
"I can't — I can't do this. I can't. It's cruel. It's wrong. I—I just survived almost dying. Owain just came back from madness. Yllas is bleeding to death. Helion is barely standing. Gerrin is—"
Her voice cracked.
"How am I supposed to choose?"
Owain pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her, pressing his face to her hair.
"You're not choosing love," he murmured.
"You're choosing survival."
She sobbed into him.
He held her tighter.
"I'll help you. I'll guide you. I'll carry you if I have to."
She looked up at him, tears streaking her face.
"I don't want to hurt any of you."
Owain's jaw clenched painfully.
He lifted her chin gently.
"Kanah."
She met his gaze.
The fierce, unwavering softness in his eyes almost broke her.
"You're not hurting us," he whispered.
"You're saving yourself."
She trembled.
The First King's voice echoed again.
"Time remaining: fifty-five minutes."
The Illusions Begin
Snow shimmered.
The world flickered.
Kanah gasped, clutching Owain's sleeve.
"Owain… something's wrong—"
The valley blurred—
And suddenly Kanah stood alone.
Owain was gone.
Yllas.
Helion.
Gerrin.
Gone.
She spun around, heart pounding.
"OWAIN?! YLLAS?! HELION?! GER—"
A figure stepped out of the fog.
Owain.
Except… not Owain.
His eyes were black.
Emotionless.
Cold.
He stared at her with a blank expression.
Kanah stumbled back.
"Owain—?"
He took one step toward her.
"Choose me," he said flatly.
"If you don't, I disappear."
She froze.
"What—what are you talking about—?"
He stepped closer.
"If you don't choose me, you kill me."
Kanah shook her head, horrified.
"No. No, that's not true—"
But another figure materialized to her right.
Yllas.
Bleeding.
Breathing shallowly.
Eyes glowing.
"Choose me," he whispered.
"Or I die here."
Kanah's heart slammed against her ribs.
"No—stop—stop it—this isn't real—!"
A third figure emerged.
Helion.
Curse marks burning.
His golden eyes dim.
"Choose me," he said quietly.
"I'm running out of time."
Kanah backed away, shaking violently.
"No—this isn't—this isn't real—"
Gerrin appeared last.
Pale.
Sweating.
Barely able to stand.
"Choose me," he said softly.
"If you don't, my magic collapses and I die."
"STOP!"
Kanah screamed, covering her ears.
"STOP — STOP — THIS ISN'T REAL!"
Owain's illusion reached for her.
"Choose me."
Yllas' illusion stepped closer.
"Choose me."
Helion's illusion's voice cracked.
"Choose me."
Gerrin's illusion whispered:
"Choose me."
Kanah fell to her knees, sobbing, choking, shaking violently.
"STOP — ALL OF YOU — PLEASE — STOP —"
But the illusions kept advancing.
Kept whispering.
Kept begging.
Until a wave of white magic burst from her.
The illusions shattered.
And the real world snapped back.
Back in Reality: The Truth
Kanah collapsed forward, trembling uncontrollably.
Owain caught her before she hit the snow.
"Kanah—hey—hey—look at me—breathe—gods—she's freezing—"
She clutched him, fists trembling.
"Owain—they—they died—they begged—they—all four of you—"
Owain held her so tightly she could barely breathe.
"It wasn't real," he whispered fiercely.
"It wasn't real. I'm here. I'm right here."
She sobbed into his shoulder.
Gerrin knelt beside them, breathing hard.
"Kanah… listen to me…"
She looked up, eyes full of raw terror.
"The illusions aren't meant to trick you. They're meant to push you. They're designed to create emotional overload so you break — so you surrender to the First King. Choosing is the only way to stop them."
Kanah swallowed painfully.
"But what does choosing actually mean?"
Gerrin hesitated.
Owain froze.
Helion stiffened.
Yllas lowered his head.
Gerrin finally answered.
"Choosing means anchoring your first mate-bond."
Kanah's breath stopped.
"Mate…?"
Owain's heart slammed painfully in his chest.
Helion exhaled, defeated.
Yllas closed his eyes.
Gerrin continued quietly:
"The first crowned mate.
The first bonded protector.
The one whose mark stabilizes your heart."
Kanah's pulse raced.
"You mean… a mating mark?"
"Not a physical one," Gerrin said quickly.
"It's magical. It's symbolic. But… it is permanent."
Kanah felt sick.
"I can't… do that. I can't choose one of you against your will. Or rushed. Or in fear."
Owain placed his forehead against hers, voice low and steady.
"You're not choosing love.
You're choosing stability."
"But what if choosing one hurts the others?"
Owain's jaw tightened.
"We'll survive it. All of us."
"But—"
He cut her off.
"You're not choosing forever," he whispered.
"You're choosing the first anchor.
That's it."
Kanah trembled.
Her eyes burned with tears.
"I don't want to lose any of you."
Yllas stepped closer, breathing labored.
"You won't."
Helion leaned on a tree, eyes tired but warm.
"We're your idiots for life."
Gerrin smiled faintly.
"And this is only the first step of many."
Kanah wiped her tears.
"But who do I choose…?"
Owain reached out—
but didn't touch her.
He waited.
His voice was barely a whisper.
"Choose with your heart."
Kanah pressed her hands to her chest.
Her voice cracked.
"My heart… hurts."
Owain closed his eyes as if physically pained.
"I know."
She looked around at all four of them.
Broken.
Bleeding.
Suffering.
Still standing for her.
Still choosing her.
She choked back a sob.
"I… I don't know who to choose."
Silence.
Then—
The First King's voice returned.
Cold.
Echoing.
Unyielding.
"Time remaining: thirty minutes."
Kanah tightened her fists.
"No," she whispered.
"No, this isn't fair—this isn't right—"
And then the First King said something that froze every one of them.
"If the heir refuses again…
the trial will choose in her place."
Owain's eyes widened in horror.
Gerrin almost dropped his staff.
Helion swore violently.
Yllas went pale.
Kanah's blood ran cold.
"What… does that mean?" she whispered.
The First King answered:
"If you do not choose…
I will choose a mate for you."