Cassandra's POV
I throw everything I have at Malachi.
Light and shadow combined, pulled from deep inside me and through the bond with Lucian. The blast is so powerful it cracks the chapel floor.
Malachi deflects it with one hand, laughing. "Did you really think that would work?"
"No," I say. "But I needed you distracted."
Behind him, Mom collapses. The silver glow in her eyes fades, and she gasps like she's been drowning.
Lucian was already moving the moment I attacked. He reached her in a blur of speed and shadows, pulling her away from Malachi.
"You think you're clever," Malachi says, his smile turning cruel. "But you just made this easier for me."
He snaps his fingers.
The chapel doors slam shut. The windows seal with black ice. And the floor beneath us cracks open, releasing dozens of Void spawn.
"Kill the Fallen," Malachi orders them. "Bring me the Contractor alive."
The monsters rush forward.
Lucian puts Mom behind him and unleashes his power. Darkness explodes from him like a tidal wave, tearing through Void spawn. His wings spread wide, blocking attacks meant for Mom.
I run to his side, light blazing from my hands. Together, we create a barrier around Mom.
"Can you hear me?" I shout at her over the chaos.
"Cassandra?" Her voice is weak but hers again. "What's happening? Where am I?"
"Long story. Stay down!"
A Void spawn breaks through our defenses. I hit it with light, turning it to ash.
Marcus watches from beside Malachi, his face twisted with jealousy. "She's stronger than before."
"Of course she is. The bond accelerates her transformation." Malachi sounds pleased. "By the time I'm done with her, she'll be powerful enough to hold the Void itself."
"We need to get out of here!" Lucian shouts.
"The doors are sealed!" I blast another Void spawn.
"Then we make our own exit!"
Lucian gathers darkness in both hands and throws it at the wall. The stone explodes outward, creating a hole big enough to escape through.
"Go!" he yells at me. "Get your mother out!"
"What about you?"
"I'll hold them off!"
"No way! We fight together or not at all!"
Through the bond, I feel his frustration and his fear for me. "Cassandra, please—"
"Not happening!" I grab Mom's arm and pull her toward the hole while blasting Void spawn with my free hand. "Lucian, come on!"
He hesitates for one second, then follows.
We burst out into the cold night air. Behind us, Malachi's laughter echoes.
"Run all you want, little Contractor! The convergence is coming! And when it does, you'll have nowhere left to hide!"
Lucian creates a portal—a swirling door of shadow and light. "Through here! Now!"
I push Mom through first, then jump in after her. Lucian follows, and the portal slams shut behind us.
We tumble out into the In-Between forest, landing hard on the glowing grass.
For a moment, nobody moves. We just breathe.
Then Mom sits up, looking around with wide eyes. "Where are we? What is this place?"
"Somewhere safe," I manage. "Mom, are you okay? Did Malachi hurt you?"
"I don't... I can't remember." She touches her head, wincing. "There was a man at the hospital. He said he could cure me completely if I helped him. I didn't understand what he meant. Then everything went dark, and when I woke up, I was in that chapel with you."
Guilt crashes through me. This is my fault. Malachi used her to get to me.
Lucian stands, scanning the forest. "We need to get back to the shelter. Malachi knows about the In-Between now. It's not safe anymore."
"Nowhere is safe," I say bitterly.
"Then we make our stand here." He helps me up. "The convergence happens in forty-five minutes. We can still perform the ritual."
"Are you insane? Malachi will be waiting! He has my mother! He—"
"Actually, I don't," a familiar voice says.
We spin around.
Raphael stands there, his expression grim. Behind him are Kieran and Zara, both looking shaken.
"We got her out," Raphael continues. "When you created that distraction, Kieran shadow-jumped in and grabbed her." He nods at Mom. "Margaret, it's been a long time."
Mom stares at him. "Raphael? But you... you look exactly the same. You haven't aged a day since..."
"Since your husband died fighting the Void. I know." His voice is gentle. "I'm sorry I couldn't save him."
"You knew my dad?" I look between them.
"Your father was one of the bravest Contractors I ever met," Raphael says. "He gave his life to seal a Void breach twenty years ago. We fought side by side."
Mom starts crying. I move to comfort her, but she waves me off.
"I'm fine. I'm just... it's a lot to process." She wipes her eyes and looks at me. "You have your father's power. I always knew this day would come. I just hoped..." She trails off.
"Hoped I could stay normal," I finish.
"Hoped you could stay safe." She grabs my hands. "But I see now that was never possible. This is who you are, Cassandra. Who you were always meant to be."
Zara kneels beside us. "We need to move. The convergence is in forty minutes, and Malachi knows we're trying the ritual. He'll come for us."
"Let him," I say. "I'm done running."
"Cassandra—" Lucian starts.
"No. Listen to me. All of you." I stand up, and everyone looks at me. "Malachi thinks he can use fear to control us. He took my job, my reputation, tried to take my mother. He wants me to feel powerless so I'll give up."
"He underestimates you," Kieran says with a sharp grin.
"Exactly. So here's what we're going to do. We perform the ritual as planned. And when Malachi shows up—because he will show up—we fight. Together. All of us."
"That's suicide," Raphael says flatly.
"Maybe. But it's better than living in fear." I look at Lucian. "You said some things are worth dying for. Well, freedom is worth fighting for. And I'm not letting him turn me into his puppet."
Through the bond, I feel Lucian's emotions shift. Pride. Determination. And something deeper that makes my heart race.
"Then we fight," he says simply.
Raphael sighs. "You're both insane. But fine. We fight."
The next thirty minutes are a blur of preparation. Raphael draws symbols on the ground with light. Zara creates protective wards. Kieran distributes weapons. Mom watches everything with wide eyes, slowly accepting this impossible new reality.
Lucian pulls me aside. "Before this starts, I need to tell you something."
"What?"
"If the ritual works—if we create a life bond—you'll see everything. Every memory. Every terrible thing I've done in three thousand years." His silver eyes are haunted. "And I need to know... will you still want this? Want me?"
I think about Marcus, who hid his cruelty behind charm. About Simone, who smiled while stabbing me in the back.
Lucian lied to me. But since then, he's been honest about everything. Even the ugly parts.
"I've already decided," I say. "We're in this together. Whatever happens."
He pulls me into a hug—sudden and fierce. Through the bond, I feel his relief and his fear and his hope all tangled together.
"Thank you," he whispers.
Before I can respond, the air changes. The temperature drops. The glowing forest dims.
"He's here," Kieran says grimly.
Dark portals open all around us. Void spawn pour through—hundreds of them, maybe thousands. And in the center, stepping through the largest portal, is Malachi.
But he's not alone.
Marcus is with him, holding a sword made of Void essence.
Simone is there too, her eyes glowing silver, corrupted like Mom was.
And behind them, stepping through with a smile that freezes my blood—
My former boss, Mr. Hoffman. The purple-skinned woman from Shadow Court. The horn-guy. A dozen other faces I recognize.
Everyone I thought was an ally. Everyone I thought I could trust.
All corrupted. All working for Malachi.
"Surprise," Malachi says cheerfully. "Did you really think I couldn't find your precious Shadow Court? I've been converting them one by one for months. And now..." He spreads his arms. "Now I have an army."
Raphael swears. Kieran goes pale. Even Zara looks terrified.
We're outnumbered fifty to one. Maybe more.
"Still want to fight?" Malachi asks me. "Or are you ready to accept the inevitable?"
I look at Mom, at Lucian, at the friends who've stayed loyal.
Then I look back at Malachi and smile.
"You made one mistake," I say.
"Oh? What's that?"
"You think numbers matter." I raise my hands, and light blazes from my palms. "But I'm not the scared girl you met three weeks ago. I'm not powerless anymore. And I'm definitely not alone."
Lucian steps up beside me, darkness swirling around him.
Raphael draws his sword of light.
Kieran's shadows writhe like living weapons.
Zara's hands crackle with magic.
Even Mom picks up a fallen branch like a club, determination on her face.
"So here's my answer," I say to Malachi. "Come and get me. If you can."
Malachi's smile widens. "With pleasure."
He raises one hand.
The army charges.
And the real battle begins.
Light and darkness explode across the forest. I throw power with both hands, burning through Void spawn. Lucian fights beside me, our powers intertwining perfectly.
Raphael holds the center, his sword cutting through enemies like they're made of paper. Kieran shadow-jumps between attackers, appearing and disappearing in flashes. Zara creates shields and throws fire.
But there are too many.
For every monster we kill, two more take its place.
Marcus comes at me with his Void sword. I block with a shield of light, but the impact drives me to my knees.
"Still think you're better than me?" he snarls.
"I don't think. I know." I blast him backward.
The battle rages for what feels like hours but is probably minutes. My power is draining. My muscles scream. Through the bond, I feel Lucian weakening too.
Then I hear it.
A bell, somewhere distant, ringing midnight.
The convergence.
"Now!" Raphael shouts. "The ritual! Now!"
Lucian grabs my hand. "Together!"
We run to the center where Raphael drew the symbols. Around us, the battle intensifies.
The Void's prison—visible even here in the In-Between—cracks open. Dark essence pours out like smoke.
"Capture it!" Raphael throws us a crystal vial. "Just one drop!"
Lucian and I raise our joined hands. Light and shadow combine, creating a force that catches the Void essence and pulls it toward the vial.
"No!" Malachi screams. "Stop them!"
But Raphael creates a barrier around us. "Finish it!"
The essence fights, writhes, screams. It's pure evil, pure destruction, and touching it burns.
But we hold on.
The drop falls into the vial. Raphael seals it instantly.
"Now the bond!" he shouts. "Complete the ritual!"
Lucian looks at me. "Last chance to change your mind."
"Never."
We press our hands together. Light and shadow and Void essence combine.
The world explodes into pain and power and something that feels like dying and being born at the same time.
I see Lucian's memories—three thousand years in a flash. His fall from Heaven. Every contract. Every death. Every moment of loneliness.
He sees mine—my childhood, my struggles, Marcus's betrayal, every fear I've ever had.
We see each other completely.
And we accept it all.
The bond transforms. Not death. Life.
Permanent. Unbreakable. Perfect.
When the light fades, we're still standing. Still alive.
Still together.
Malachi stares at us, his face twisted with rage. "What have you done?"
I smile. "We won."
The life bond pulses between us, stronger than ever. Power floods through me—not draining, but sustaining.
"Impossible," Malachi breathes.
"Apparently not." I raise my hands, and this time, the power that comes is different. Unlimited. Eternal.
Because I'm not alone anymore.
I'll never be alone again.
"Round two?" I ask Lucian through our bond.
"Let's end this," he responds.
Together, we unleash everything we have.
And for the first time since this nightmare began, I believe we might actually survive. The power keeps pouring out of me like water from a broken dam.
Footsteps pound in the hallway. Lucian bursts through the door, Kieran right behind him.
Lucian sees the light and swears. "She's manifesting already. It's too soon—she's not ready!"
"What do we do?" Kieran asks.
"We contain it before she burns the whole building down." Lucian approaches me carefully, hands up. "Cassandra, listen to me. You need to pull it back. The power is yours—you control it."
"I can't!" The light is getting brighter, stronger. Things in the room start to float. "I don't know how!"
"Yes, you do." He's right in front of me now, close enough to touch. "Feel the power. Don't fight it. Don't fear it. Just... breathe."
"That's your advice? Breathe?"
"Trust me."
I don't trust him. But I don't have a choice.
I close my eyes and try to feel the power instead of fearing it. It's like a river inside me, wild and rushing and desperate to get out.
Slowly, carefully, I imagine pulling it back. Like closing a faucet. Like taking a deep breath and holding it.
The light dims. The floating objects settle. The cold recedes.
When I open my eyes, the room is normal again except for the broken window and frost.
Lucian lets out a long breath. "Well. That was exciting."
My legs give out. Kieran catches me before I hit the floor.
"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I didn't mean to—"
"It's not your fault." Lucian kneels beside me. "Your power is waking up faster than expected. The attack at the hospital accelerated the process." He looks at Kieran. "We need to start her training immediately. Tonight."
"Tonight?" Zara protests. "She needs rest!"
"She needs control," Lucian says sharply. "Before her power tears her apart from the inside."
Kieran helps me to my feet. "Can you walk?"
I nod, though I'm shaking so hard my teeth chatter.
Lucian leads us down to the basement—a massive space filled with training equipment and weapons. The walls are covered in those silver lines I saw before, glowing brighter here.
"Reinforced wards," Lucian explains. "Whatever you do down here won't damage the building." He turns to face me. "First lesson: your power responds to emotion. Fear makes it wild. Anger makes it destructive. You need to learn to stay calm."
"How am I supposed to stay calm when monsters are trying to kill me?"
"Practice." He gestures to the center of the room. "Attack me."
I stare at him. "What?"
"Use your power. Try to hit me."
"I'm not going to—"
"Do it!" His voice cracks like a whip. "Or the next time Void spawn attack, you'll freeze up and die. Is that what you want?"
No. It's not.
I raise my hands, and light flickers across my palms. It feels easier this time, like the power knows what I want.
I throw it at Lucian.
He dodges effortlessly, moving faster than any human could. The light hits the wall behind him and disappears into the wards.
"Again," he commands.
I try again. And again. And again.
He dodges every single shot.
Frustration builds in my chest. I'm tired and scared and angry, and I channel all of it into the next blast.
This one is different. Bigger. Brighter.
It catches Lucian in the chest and sends him flying backward into the wall.
Silence.
"Oh God," I breathe. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"
Lucian stands up, brushing dust off his suit. He's smiling.
"There it is," he says. "That's the power I need. The power that can save the world." He walks toward me, and his eyes glow silver. "Now let's see how much more you can do."
The training lasts for hours. By the end, I can barely stand. But I can control the light. I can call it, shape it, throw it without destroying everything around me.
When Lucian finally calls it quits, the sun is rising outside.
"You did well," he says, and it sounds like he means it. "Rest today. Tonight, we train again."
I stumble back to my room with Zara's help. Every muscle screams. My head pounds.
But as I collapse onto the bed, I feel something new.
Not just power. Not just fear.
Pride.
I'm not helpless anymore. I'm not the woman Marcus and Simone destroyed.
I'm becoming some
thing else. Something stronger.
Maybe even something dangerous.
I fall asleep with light still flickering across my fingertips and one thought in my mind:
Let the monsters come. Next time, I'll be ready.