Chapter Eight: Bargain in the Snow

The stranger’s red cloak whipped in the wind, twisting like a snake as the moon played hide-and-seek behind the clouds. For a moment, everything was unnaturally quiet, no howls, no storm, just the shaky sound of their own breathing.

Liora held tight to Ash's weak hand. The marks on her wrist tingled like a warning beneath her skin. Kael watched the stranger, his whole body tense, ready for a fight. The journal in Liora’s hands was glowing again, its silver light flickering in rhythm with the storm.

The red-cloaked figure stepped closer, snow crunching beneath boots. A gloved hand lifted, showing broken runes that twisted like trapped snakes in the palm.

“You've come a long way, Serelai," the stranger said. Their voice was low and impossible to place, not male or female, just old. “But every step you take comes with a price. Every new door you open, closes another.”

Kael jumped in front of Liora. "We don't owe you anything," he said angrily.

The stranger smiled slightly. "Not yet, but