LOGINArrows continued to fly, but Lau kept the pressure on. Each time an archer found a clear shot, a crossbow bolt seemed to arrive from another angle. She moved constantly, never remaining in one place long enough to be targeted. Soon the dozen archers were scattered along the battlement rather than fighting as a unit. Sol threw an explosion ahead and vaulted onto a low section of stonework and landed among a cluster of opponents. His daggers sliced through guards while his quick footwork kept h
The scent of Amelia was a torture and a salvation all at once. “Amelia,” Luz breathed his hands sliding from her waist to the small of her back, pulling her flush against him. “I have spent six years thinking only of survival. Of duty. Of how to keep my soul from being swallowed whole.” He pulled back just enough to look at her, his amber eyes burning with a quiet, desperate hunger. “And now?” she asked, her hand trailing down his chest to his lower abdomen. “What are you thinking now?” his breath hitched, a sharp, jagged sound that tore through the quiet of the room. His muscles locked under her hand, every fibre of his body reacting to the touch like a soldier caught in an ambush– only this time, there was no instinct to fight.“Now,” Luz said, his voice dropping into a register so low it was barely a whisper. “I am thinking that I do not want to be anywhere else in the world.” His hands tightened
Luz held Amelia there for a long time, his amber eyes closed tight against the back of his eyelids. The weight of her arms around him felt impossible– as if she were made of something far more precious than flesh and bone. His left eye opened. The amber there bright and clear, like a lantern in the dark. “I thought I would never feel this again,” he whispered into her hair, his voice raw. “Not without feeling like I was dying.” He pulled back just enough to look at her face, his hands still resting on her shoulders. His thumb brushing against her cheek, the metal of his gauntlet cold, but the pressure behind it so gentle it was almost painful. “But first you need to get Estrela Astuta?” she asked curiously. “Where is she? Will it be dangerous?”Luz’s expression hardened, the warmth of the moment receding like a tide. The soldier in him reasserted control as he looked toward the window. “Estrela Astuta is at som
As they walked through the winding corridors of the estate, Luz’s eyes scanned every shadow, every doorway. Old habits die hard; even in a place of supposed peace, he was a commander looking for threats. But as the air grew warmer and the scent of Jasmin and old stone replaced the sulphur of the battlefield, his pace slower as they entered a central passage. The hallways stretched forward in a long, symmetrical corridor, with a stone staircase at the far end leading to a lower level. The hallway is illuminated multiple candles circling a large wrought-iron chandelier fixture in the centre of the ceiling and candle sconces lining either side of the corridor.A wooden sideboard stands on the left side of the hallway, crafted from dark polished wood, with a vase with flowers on top. A narrow table lines the right-side wall, positioned under a portrait of a mountain range. Further down the corridor, several chairs like the right and left side, providing resting places for v
Mestre Escuro’s distant expression as he recounted his past brought a flicker of something unreadable across Luz’s face. The image of Mestre Escuro– the leader of the Corrompido and his former enemy– as a young history student, driven by academic curiosity, was jarring. “History,” he repeated, his voice losing some of its earlier edge. “So, you were not always a monster.” The words were a statement more than a question, his amber eyes studying Mestre Escuro’s face with newfound interest. Luz’s black gauntleted hand loosened its grip on his sword hilt, the hidden white ribbon beneath feeling less like a relic of a dead life and more like an anchor to a shared humanity.“What did you find there?” Luz asked curiously. “We found tomes and old runes we could not translate,” Mestre Escuro said. “It was Estrela Astuta who discovered the fountain.” Flashes of a young woman’s face fla
“You are not a toy,” Mestre Escuro said. “You never were.” Luz’s amber eyes narrowed at his words, his expression shifting from raw emotion to sharp calculation. The declaration that he was never just a pawn resonated with the deep-seated belief that his sacrifice six years ago had meant something beyond mere tactical advantage. “Never a toy,” he repeated slowly, his voice carrying the weight of years spent fighting against being used. “The prove it. Show me what this life looks like– this world where Santo’s knights and Corrompido do not have to kill each other.” His black gauntleted hand moved to rest on the hilt of his sword, fingers brushing against the hidden white ribbon. “Tell me exactly what this fountain does,” Luz demanded, his amber gaze fixed on the vial in Mestre Escuro’s hand. “The fountain and the ruins… they were found before the Santo’s order began. I was a young m
Luz’s armoured hands clenched into firsts at his sides, the hidden white ribbon his his wrist feeling like a brand against his skin. “I could enter. But once inside, I would be vulnerable. My strength comes from darkness.” he admitted reluctantly, his amber eye flickering with vulnerability. “Take the girl with you,” Mestre Escuro said. “She seems to bring out the best in you.” Luz’s amber gaze snapped back to Meste Escuro, his expression shifting from contemplation to sharp disbelief. The suggestion of bringing Amelia along– of exposing her to the dangers of this mission– sent a jolt of protective instinct through him. “Take her?” he repeated sharply, his voice losing its measured command. “Are you insane? That island sounds dangerous.”Luz’s black gauntleted hand clenched into fists at his sides. The hidden white ribbon on his wrist felt like a physical weight against his skin as image
The rest of the people had gathered on the left side of the cathedral. A few men held candle sticks out to protect themselves, not that it would do much good against the prisoners who wanted revenge on their captors. Suddenly a warm rush of energy emanated from the man beside Amelia. She looked o
Amelia looks over the prisoner’s posture, he sits curled inward with his knees drawn close to his chest, his shoulders slumped heavily forward. One arm loosely wraps around his legs while is head tilts downward. His expression is weary and haunted, with deep shadows beneath his eyes and a g
The inside of the Cathedral was breathtaking, immense in scale and rich with intricate detail. Towering stone columns rise on either side of a main aisle; their surfaces carved with delicate patterns and sculptural details. These columns branch upward into pointed arches that interlock high above
The wooden stairs creaked under Lady Escuridade’s boots as she ascended to the watchtower’s platform. The morning sun cast long shadows across the stone walls, and she could hear the distant sounds of their army forming ranks below. Amelia stood near the railing; spyglass pressed to h







