Chapter 39: A Precarious Alliance

The tension between Aveline and Gabriel remained in the air like a thick fog. The small shining of the moon reflected their path through the thick forest, but their thoughts were far darker than the night around them. After the standoff with Darian, it had become seriously clear—they couldn't win this fight alone.

"You know this will only work if we trust each other," Gabriel said, breaking the silence.

Aveline looked closely at him, her expression unreadable. "Trust? That's a tall order coming from you, you are truly talking about. Trust, coming from a man who has lied about almost everything coming out from his mouth in the past couple of years now"

Gabriel sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know I've given you every reason to doubt me. But we're running out of options. The elders, the Shadow Council, Darian—they're all playing a game we barely understand. If we don't figure out their next move, it's over."