Chapter Forty-four

Depths of Darkness

The deeper we went, the less the world felt real.

The ground beneath us stopped being solid — it rippled like liquid shadow, shifting with every step. The air was heavy, humming faintly with the whispers of lost souls. Around us, twisted monuments rose from the blackness — broken spires, frozen in mid-collapse, like echoes of a forgotten war.

Lucien walked ahead, his power pulsing faintly. Every step he took sent waves of shadow out across the surface, steadying it for me to follow.

“This place…” I whispered. “It feels alive.”

“It is,” he said quietly. “Every part of the Shadowlands is tied to my essence. It shifts with my will — and with my weakness.”

I frowned. “So when Mona invaded—”

“She fed on the cracks,” he finished grimly. “The same cracks I let form when I took you in.”

I looked up sharply. “You think this is your fault?”

Lucien stopped walking. For a moment, he didn’t turn to face me. “Mona reached you through blood, but she reached me through emotion. Every time I protected you, every time I defied the balance to keep you alive, she learned more about my limits.”

I stepped closer, my voice low. “You think caring is weakness?”

He turned then, his eyes catching the faint silver glow of my power. “In this world, it is.”

The words stung, but I didn’t look away. “Then I’ll turn your weakness into her downfall.”

Lucien’s lips twitched — half warning, half admiration. “You sound dangerously certain.”

“I’ve earned the right to be.”

Before he could respond, the air around us shifted. The ground rippled violently, sending us staggering. From the fissures rose faint figures — shadow-beasts, crawling and twisting, their mouths full of whispers.

Lucien’s hand flashed up instantly. The darkness responded, slamming the creatures back into the ground. But they didn’t vanish. Instead, they multiplied, surrounding us like a tide.

“Mona’s corruption,” he growled. “She’s spreading her curse through my shadows.”

I drew my blades, silver-black fire flaring along their edges. “Then we burn it out.”

He glanced at me, a faint smirk touching his mouth. “Try to keep up, little wolf.”

He moved like lightning, his shadows forming blades that sliced through the creatures with deadly precision. I followed, striking in rhythm — his darkness weaving through my light. For every beast that fell, our combined power grew steadier, more synchronized.

The battle became a blur — light and shadow spiraling together, striking and vanishing in perfect harmony.

When the last creature dissolved into smoke, the ground stilled again. My breath came heavy, my heartbeat loud in my ears.

Lucien’s gaze lingered on me. “You’re learning faster than I expected.”

I smiled faintly. “You trained me well.”

He studied me for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. Then he turned away, voice lower. “Don’t mistake endurance for mastery. The closer we get to Mona, the stronger the link between you will grow. She’ll feel your every heartbeat, your every fear.”

I sheathed my blades. “Then I’ll make her choke on them.”

Lucien’s mouth curved faintly, though his tone remained cold. “Confidence looks good on you. Just don’t let it kill you.”

We moved on.

As we descended deeper, the shadows grew thicker — not just around us, but inside me. My pulse thudded in rhythm with the darkness itself. My wolf prowled beneath my skin, uneasy but strong.

Then — a whisper.

Faint at first, like a breath against my ear.

Kimberly…

I froze.

Lucien turned sharply. “What is it?”

“She’s here,” I whispered.

The air thickened. The mark on my palm seared with heat. I fell to one knee, clutching it, gasping as Mona’s voice filled my mind again — clearer than ever.

You think you can hunt me through shadows? I am the shadows now. Every step you take feeds me. Every breath binds you tighter.

I grit my teeth, fighting to block her out, but her voice grew louder.

Do you really think he’ll save you? The Shadow King doesn’t protect. He consumes. Just like me.

Lucien knelt beside me, gripping my shoulders. “Focus on me,” he commanded.

“I—can’t—”

His hand covered mine, pressing over the mark. His power surged, cold and heavy, flooding my veins. The shadows flared violently, and Mona’s voice screamed before cutting off entirely.

The silence that followed left me trembling.

Lucien didn’t move his hand. His touch was steady, grounding. “She tried to breach the link again,” he said, his tone softer now. “You fought it better this time.”

I met his gaze, my breathing uneven. “You saved me.”

He shook his head. “No. You held the line. I only steadied it.”

We stayed like that for a long moment, the shadows swirling quietly around us. Then I straightened slowly, still shaking but determined.

“She’s afraid,” I said finally. “That’s why she’s reaching for me. She knows we’re coming.”

Lucien stood, the faintest ghost of a smile touching his lips. “Good. Let her fear grow.”

As we resumed our path, the air around us began to hum — a deep, low vibration that made the glassy ground pulse beneath our feet. Ahead, faint light glimmered in the distance, crimson and alive.

“The heart of my realm,” Lucien murmured. “She’s there.”

I took a deep breath, the weight of destiny pressing down. “Then this ends tonight.”

Lucien’s voice was calm, but his eyes burned. “Not yet. First, she’ll try to break you one last time.”

I tightened my grip on my blades. “Let her try.”

The red glow grew brighter as we walked — a pulsing heartbeat in the endless dark. And for the first time, I realized what Mona had truly done.

She hadn’t invaded Lucien’s world.

She had merged with it.

And now, if we didn’t stop her soon… there might not be a world left to save.

---