The Price of a Memory

Evelyn swallowed hard, her heart hammering against her ribs. A precious memory—what would that even mean? Would she forget something important? Someone? The thought sent a sharp pang through her chest, but she squared her shoulders. She had come too far to turn back now.

The Shadow Broker extended a hand, its form shifting like liquid darkness. "Place your palm against mine, and the exchange will begin."

Lucien caught her wrist. "Evelyn, wait." His grip was firm, his golden eyes filled with quiet urgency. "Memories shape who we are. If you give one away, you might lose a part of yourself."

Evelyn met his gaze, her throat tight. "I know, Lucien. But if we don't do this, I'll lose everything."

Lucien's jaw tensed, but after a long moment, he released her. His hand lingered near hers, as if to catch her if she faltered.

Taking a steadying breath, Evelyn placed her palm against the Broker's. The moment they touched, a cold wave of energy surged through her, numbing her fingertips and spreading up her arm. The air around them grew heavy, pressing against her like unseen hands. Then, all at once, it was inside her—digging through her mind, sifting through her memories like fingers through pages of a book.

A flood of images flickered before her eyes—her childhood, laughter under the summer sun, her mother's voice humming an old lullaby. Then it slowed. Settled. The Broker had found something.

A memory of love.

She was standing in a grand ballroom, the chandeliers casting golden light over the swirling dancers. A strong hand grasped hers, twirling her into an embrace. She looked up into a pair of deep, familiar eyes—Lucien's eyes. The warmth in them, the way he gazed at her as if she were the only thing that mattered in the world…

She had forgotten this. But now she remembered.

Her heart clenched as the Broker's hold tightened around the memory, pulling it away. She tried to cling to it, to hold onto the sensation of his arms around her, the whispered promise in his voice—but it slipped through her fingers like grains of sand.

The connection broke. Evelyn gasped, stumbling back. Lucien caught her before she could fall, his arms steady around her. She blinked up at him, her mind reeling. She knew she had lost something, but she couldn't quite grasp what it was. Only a dull ache remained.

The Shadow Broker let out a satisfied sigh. "A lovely offering," they mused. "And now, your reward."

They gestured, and the mist around them shifted, revealing symbols etched into the air—ancient, pulsing with a strange energy. "To defy the council's will, you must anchor yourself beyond their reach. A tether. Something unbreakable, something stronger than time."

Evelyn frowned, still dazed. "A tether?"

The Broker's shadowed form tilted slightly. "Love, child. A bond so deep that not even time's unraveling can sever it." Their gaze flickered to Lucien, then back to Evelyn. "You had it once."

Evelyn's breath caught. Had? The word sent a strange unease through her.

Lucien's voice was quiet, unreadable. "And if we find this tether?"

The Broker's form began to dissolve into the mist. "Then the council's hold on her will break."

Evelyn pressed a hand to her temple. The ache in her chest remained, but the certainty of their next step was clear.

Find the tether. Find the bond stronger than time itself.

And before it was too late.