Her lips trembled.
Her breath shuddered shallowly against the cold air.
Owain leaned over her, barely breathing himself.
"Kanah…?"
His voice cracked painfully.
Her eyelashes fluttered weakly.
Her throat moved.
And in a faint, fragile whisper—
"…Owain…"
Owain froze.
Every muscle in his body locked.
Gerrin gasped.
Yllas closed his eyes, chest rising with a mixture of pain and relief.
Helion exhaled shakily, looking away.
Kanah's fingers curled weakly into the snow.
"...Owain…"
She said it again.
Softer.
Stronger.
Choosing.
Owain's heart broke open.
Not with joy.
Not with triumph.
With something deeper—
something raw
aching
terrified
and overwhelmed.
He cupped her cheek with a trembling hand.
"Kanah… I'm here. I'm right here."
Her lips parted.
"I choose… Owain…"
The words barely left her mouth before the world reacted.
The Anchor Ignites
White light erupted from Kanah's chest, spiraling outward.
The wind howled.
The snow lifted.
A pulse burst through the valley like a heartbeat amplified a thousand times.
Owain cried out as the magic hit him—
not in pain,
but like someone punched directly into his soul.
Kanah gasped and arched upward, body jolting with violent force.
"Owain—!" Gerrin shouted.
"Catch her—her heart is realigning—!"
Owain pulled her into his arms instantly, holding her as if she were moments from vanishing.
Her body shook uncontrollably.
Her fingers dug into his shirt.
"Owain—it hurts—"
"I know. I've got you. I've got you."
White fire burst from her rune—
a stream of magic that slammed into Owain's chest.
He gasped as heat seared through him.
Yllas's eyes widened.
"The bond—she's anchoring—"
Helion muttered something in disbelief.
Gerrin frantically traced symbols into the air.
"Her heart is choosing his. His magic must match it or she'll collapse."
Owain pressed his forehead to hers, whispering through clenched teeth:
"Take it. Take whatever you need from me."
Her body jerked violently.
"Owain—!"
He held her tighter.
"Breathe. Stay with me. I'm here."
The white light flared—
—and vanished.
Kanah went limp.
Owain almost collapsed with her.
"Kanah—!? KANAH—!"
He lowered her gently to the ground, hands shaking.
Gerrin pressed two fingers to her neck.
Yllas leaned in, holding his breath.
Helion braced himself against a tree, watching with tense silence.
Gerrin's eyes widened.
"She has a heartbeat."
Owain's chest collapsed in relief.
"And her pulse… is stabilizing."
Owain bowed his head, shaking with silent emotion.
He lifted her hand and pressed it to his forehead.
"Thank the gods… thank every god…"
Kanah's fingers twitched.
Then curled around his.
Her voice was a whisper.
"Owain… I'm still here…"
He exhaled a broken breath.
"Yes.
You're here."
He leaned down—
And rested his forehead against hers.
Not kissing her.
Not claiming her.
Just holding her.
Alive.
With him.
Reactions
Gerrin let out a shaky breath.
"That was… closer than I want to think about."
Yllas, pale and sweating, managed a faint smile.
"She chose instinct. She chose strength. She chose the one who refuses to let go."
Helion rolled his eyes but didn't hide the warmth beneath it.
"Of course she chose the wolf. Big, broody, emotionally constipated… totally her type."
Owain didn't react.
He was entirely focused on her.
Kanah's hand slid weakly up his wrist.
"Owain…"
He looked down at her, expression softening in a way the others had never seen.
"Yes?"
Her voice trembled.
"You're crying…"
He blinked.
A tear dripped from his chin onto her cheek.
He didn't bother to wipe it.
"I thought I lost you," he whispered.
Kanah moved her other hand to his jaw, thumb brushing the tear.
"You didn't."
Owain closed his eyes for a moment, trying to breathe.
Then he lifted her carefully—slowly—into his arms and held her against his chest.
She curled into him, exhausted but alive.
Gerrin smiled faintly.
"She anchored to him. That means no more heart failure. No more collapse."
Yllas nodded.
"She's stable."
Helion sighed.
"Thank the skies. I'm too pretty to attend funerals."
Kanah laughed softly—weak, breathless, but real.
Owain looked down at her instantly.
"You're smiling."
"Just… a little."
He kissed her forehead gently.
"Good."
The First King Acknowledges
The mountains vibrated.
The snow trembled.
And the First King's voice broke across the valley like thunder.
"Trial Two complete."
Owain growled immediately.
"Don't speak to her."
The voice ignored him.
"Anchor formed.
Heir stabilized."
Kanah curled closer to Owain, trembling faintly.
Yllas lifted his head.
"What's Trial Three?"
Gerrin stiffened.
Helion muttered, "Oh, wonderful. There's more."
Owain tensed, pulling Kanah closer protectively.
Kanah whispered into his chest:
"I don't want any more trials, Owain…"
His arms tightened.
"You won't face them alone."
The First King answered.
Cold.
Ancient.
Unyielding.
"Trial Three begins now."
Owain snarled.
"No—she needs rest—you can't—"
But the First King spoke over him.
"The Trial of Truth."
Gerrin paled.
"This one… this is the worst."
Kanah lifted her head weakly.
"Why…?"
"The Trial of Truth," Gerrin whispered, "forces you to confront the deepest wound of your bloodline."
Kanah swallowed.
"What does that mean?"
Yllas answered softly.
"It means you must face the memory you were never meant to see."
Gerrin nodded grimly.
"The memory the Queen hid from you.
The memory the Beast King erased.
The memory the First King buried."
Owain growled, arms forming a cage around her.
"You won't torture her with illusions again."
But the First King's voice shattered the air:
"The heir must remember
her death."
Kanah froze.
"…my… what?"
Owain's breath stopped.
Yllas's eyes widened.
Helion stiffened.
Gerrin dropped his staff.
The First King repeated:
"Trial Three:
Remember the moment you died in the previous world."
Kanah's vision blurred.
Her chest tightened.
Her fingers dug into Owain's shirt.
"Owain…"
He wrapped both arms around her, voice shaking with fury and fear.
"No.
NO.
She is not reliving that—"
But the snow lifted.
The world blurred.
Kanah screamed—
—and Owain's arms slipped away as the First King tore her mind into the past.
And the chapter ends.