I move to stand beside my brother, feeling the familiar sync of our power. "We're stronger together." I hold her gaze, willing her to understand what we're really saying. "You're stronger with us."
The silence that follows feels heavy with meaning. Her shadows swirl around her in patterns that mirror the emotion I can see building in her eyes.
"You'd really walk into a corrupted shadow realm? Risk everything just to…" she trails off, like she can't quite believe we're all still here.
"Because you're family," Finn says simply, all traces of humor gone. "And family doesn't let family face ancient evil alone. It's like, rule number one."
Something in Kaia's expression softens then, making her shadows dance. The sight does something strange to my ribs, makes my fire rune pulse with a warmth that has nothing to do with power.
"I just want you all to be sure," she says quietly. "Once we cross over…"
"Save the noble sacrifice speech for after we survive," I cut her off, but I can't help smiling. "Now, can we get this apocalyptic field trip started before Malrik's frown becomes permanent?"
"Final equipment check," Malrik announces, all business despite the way his silver eyes keep darting to Kaia.
That's when we see it, Walter bobbing peacefully near the portal's edge. Unlike the other shadows that pulse with nervous energy, Bob maintaining a perimeter while the others dart between us - this one seems utterly unconcerned with the tension around it. Walter doesn't just observe—he studies. Like he already knows what we're walking into.
"Walter?" Kaia breathes. "How did you get here?"
The tiny shadow does a lazy flip in response, somehow managing to look both innocent and pleased with itself.
"He probably knew we'd need him," I say, watching as the little shadow drifts closer to investigate my boots.
Walter bobs in what might be agreement before floating up to eye level, regarding me with what I swear is curiosity. Despite myself, I feel my lips twitch into a smile. There's something endearing about the little guy.
"Two minutes," Malrik calls out. The portal's hum deepens, making my bones vibrate. "Remember, we stay together. No heroics."
That last bit seems directed at me, which is rich coming from the guy who basically volunteered us for this suicide mission. But before I can respond, power surges through the archway. The portal's surface ripples like black water, and something stirs in my blood.
I watch as Kaia takes a deep breath, her wings unfurling slightly as she turns to face the portal. The shadows at her feet swirl in anticipation, and I can feel my own power responding, fire coursing through my veins.
"Everyone ready?" Kaia asks, her voice steady despite the tension I can see in her shoulders.
"Always," I reply, stepping closer to her side. Our eyes meet, and for a moment, the world narrows to just us. The fire in my blood surges, not with the familiar heat of battle, but with something warmer, moreprotective. The moment stretches, charged with unspoken words, until Finn clears his throat.
"As touching as this pre-battle bonding is," he says, "we should probably get moving before the portal destabilizes or something equally dramatic happens."
Kaia nods, breaking our gaze. "Right. Let's do this."
The moment we step through the archway, Absentia slams into me like a physical force. The corruption in the air is thick, heavy, clinging to my skin like oil. An unfamiliar ache blooms in my chest—not pain exactly, but a hollow warmth that demands attention. I try to ignore it, focusing on the wrongness that permeates this place.
"Everyone alright?" Malrik calls, his voice tight. I notice him press a hand to his chest, just for a moment.
Before anyone can answer, my blood ignites. The fire rune on my chest blazes like it's trying to consume me from the inside—but beneath the burn is a new kind of ache, hollow and magnetic, like gravity bent around Kaia. Beside me, Aspen staggers, his water rune flaring bright enough to cast eerie blue shadows across the jagged landscape.
"What's happening?" he grits out, frost spreading from his feet in patterns like lightning. The burning spreads through my veins like molten metal, my muscles straining against my clothes. Everything sharpens—sounds, smells, the pulse of wrongness in the air.
I glance at Aspen and see the change taking him too. His lean frame expanding, shoulders broadening as ice crystals dance across his skin. My shirt tears as another wave hits, power flooding my system. The fire in my blood roars for release, for battle.
"Berserkers," Malrik breathes, his silver eyes wide. "Impossible. They were meant to be extinct."
I try to respond but my voice comes out as a growl, deeper and rougher than before. Through our twin-bond, I feel Aspen's own transformation. Ice where I'm fire, but the same primal force reshaping us both.
The ache in my chest intensifies, and I find myself taking an unconscious step toward Kaia. Each movement away from her feels wrong somehow. I notice Aspen drifting closer too, like we're caught in her orbit. Even Finn and Malrik seem to be circling nearer, though they might not realize it.
"Fascinating," Finn says, but his usual humor sounds strained. He's rubbing his chest absently. "I'm guessing this isn't part of the normal realm-hopping experience?"
The corruption of Absentia presses in, thick and wrong. But beneath it, something deeper stirs—a calling that thrums through blood and bond alike. And Kaia… Kaia is the center of it all.
