The air grew colder, sharper, as though the very world held it's breath. Aila shivered slightly against Jace, and the warmth of their shared moment faded like a dying ember. The wind shifted, carrying with it a chill that prickled their skin and filled their lungs with dread.Jace’s eyes narrowed as he felt it, an unsettling presence that slithered into his bones. He pulled Aila closer, his protective instincts flaring.“What is that?” Aila whispered, her voice trembling.Jace didn’t answer. Instead, he scanned the shadows beyond the clearing. The twisted spires seemed taller, more menacing. Darkness pooled at their bases, seeping like ink across the ground. The sky, once a muted violet, darkened to an impenetrable black. The cold gnawed deeper, an unnatural chill that even his fire couldn’t dispel.A sudden scream split the silence. It came from Lorian.Jace and Aila spun around, their hearts pounding. Lorian was on his knees, his face twisted in pain as he clutched his head. Erynn s

The passage echoed with the sounds of their retreat, rushed footsteps, frantic breaths, and the sharp clink of weapons brushing against armor. The darkness seemed to swallow everything behind them, a thick, suffocating wall of shadow that chased their every step. Aila’s heart pounded like a drum, a steady beat of fear and dread.Jace’s promise to follow them echoed in her mind. I’ll be right behind you.But as they sprinted through the narrow, jagged passage, the absence of his blue flames was like a knife twisting in her gut. Each step forward increased the distance between them, and with it, the unbearable weight of doubt. She forced herself to focus on the path ahead, the cold wind biting at her face, but the feeling that something was terribly wrong was growing stronger.“We need to keep moving!” Lorian shouted, his voice harsh and desperate. Blood dripped down his side where a wraith’s claws had torn through his cloak. “We have to reach the temple!”Aila’s jaw tightened. “Jace pr

Jace’s lips lingered on Aila’s, the warmth of the moment was a fragile refuge after the storm. The world around them was battered and scarred, but in this fragile silence, there was hope. As they pulled back, his fingers brushed a lock of hair away from her face, and his blue eyes softened, the fires within them finally at peace.Aila smiled, her green eyes glimmering with tears. “You always come back, don’t you?”“Even if I have to crawl through hell,” Jace whispered, a ghost of a grin tugging at his mouth. “I’ll always come back to you.”Lorian’s voice broke the moment, rough and weary. “As much as I’d love to savor the victory, we should probably figure out what happens next.”Erynn sheathed her daggers, her gaze flickering to the smoldering remains of the Phantom King’s essence. “We got rid of him for now, but this place feels... wrong. Like the shadows are just waiting to return.”Aila nodded, her face tightening. “The Phantom King may be destroyed, but his influence remains. And

The world seemed to freeze in that terrible moment. The Phantom King's shadowy spear hovered in the air, it's dark essence pulsating with malevolent energy. Jace's heart pounded in his chest, his instincts screaming at him to move, to protect Aila no matter what.The Phantom King's hollow eyes glimmered with cruel satisfaction. "You think your fleeting flame can stand against eternity, boy?" His voice was cold, a deep void that seemed to devour all hope.Jace's fingers clenched tightly around the hilt of his blade, the blue fire along it's edge flickering like a beacon against the consuming darkness. He took a step forward, putting himself between Aila and the looming figure."I don't care how eternal you think you are," Jace snarled, his voice a mix of defiance and desperation. "I’ll fight you until there’s nothing left of me. You won't touch her."Aila’s hand brushed against his back, her light faltering but unwavering. "We’ll fight together."The Phantom King's laugh was a dry, chi

The laugh echoed through the trees, low and guttural, like a beast stirring from a long slumber. The shadows shifted unnaturally, curling like smoke around the edges of the clearing. Jace's eyes narrowed, the blue fire in his hands flaring to life."We’re not alone," he said, his voice tight.Aila instinctively drew closer to him, her light intensifying. Erynn and Lorian immediately took defensive stances, their weapons drawn and eyes scanning the shifting gloom. The air grew colder, the oppressive chill gnawing at their skin.Suddenly, the trees on the far side of the clearing shuddered violently, and a figure stepped through the dark veil. Unlike the Phantom King, this creature was solid, humanoid, yet warped. It's skin was ashen gray, it's eyes two pits of endless blackness. Jagged cracks ran along it's body, as though it were a statue barely held together, and a swirling darkness seeped out from the fissures like living ink.“A Wraithbound,” Erynn hissed. “We’re dealing with his l