Semua Bab A Flame in the Shadow: Bab 51 - Bab 53

EmberThe doors close behind me. The sound is soft, but it seals my fate. The grand hall stretches endlessly ahead, obsidian floors polished to a mirror, gold-veined pillars rising like molten trees, chandeliers burning with steady, ritual flame. The air is thick with incense and anticipation.Thousands of eyes turn toward me. They are not meant to be guests, they are witnesses. To triumph, or execution. My bare feet touch the sigil the moment I step forward. It reacts instantly. A low hum vibrates up through my bones, subtle but alive. Gold threads inlaid into the black stone flicker beneath my skin as though they recognize something in me. I walk slowly. The outer skirt of my gown whispers around me, silk disguising steel. The altered embroidery at my bodice tingles faintly as if it can feel the ritual building around it.I don’t look at Orion. If I look at him now, I will run. Bastion waits at the center of the circle. Black coat, gold cuffs, and an expression carved into something

OrionThe world is screaming. The hall is chaos. Shards of gold and black magic tear across the floor as the circle collapses, sparks of binding exploding against stone. I see Ember, I feel her body go limp in my arms, and then she’s gone. Not anywhere I can reach. I stumble forward, heart hammering. My hand lifts instinctively, but the threads of magic choke me. My boots scrape obsidian, sparks flying, and I am too late.“Ember!” I scream, but there’s no answer.I know. I know instantly. Lazriel has failed. No. No. I won’t accept that. I pull myself to the edge of the shattered sigil, staring at the air where she disappeared. My shadow pulses violently beneath me, echoing my anger and fear. Every muscle is coiled, screaming. I will find her. I will. But the Gate isn’t here. Not like it was in the ritual. Not tangible. Not something I can reach. The pulse, the pulling, the power, I can feel her. I can feel her blood, her soul, vibrating somewhere beyond the veil, but the threads are s