The Shattered Oath:

The being stood before them, its presence pressing against Aeliana's chest like a crushing weight. It was neither angel nor devil, but something caught between—something ancient and bound by chains that no longer held it back.

Its silver eyes flickered like dying stars, taking them in. Then, it spoke.

"You should not be here."

The voice was deep, echoing through the chamber like a thousand whispers converging into one.

Lucian tensed, his fingers twitching toward his weapon. "Then maybe you shouldn't have invited us."

A slow, eerie chuckle rumbled from the creature. "Invited? No… you followed the call willingly. Just as you were meant to."

Aeliana clenched her fists. "The whispers… the ruins… you were behind it?"

The being tilted its head. "I was sealed away eons ago, child of light. I did not call you. Fate did."

The chains that once bound it lay shattered at its feet, glowing with residual power. The very air around them felt unstable, as if reality itself wavered in its presence.

Lucian exhaled sharply. "Then what are you?"

The being smiled. "A guardian. A betrayer. A remnant of what came before. But more importantly—" Its gaze locked onto Lucian. "I am your consequence."

Without warning, the chamber shook violently.

Dark tendrils lashed out from the void behind the creature, snaking toward them with terrifying speed. Lucian moved first, summoning his shadows to block the attack. Aeliana followed, her wings flaring as she sent a burst of radiant light to counter the darkness.

The forces clashed mid-air, crackling and hissing as they pushed against each other.

"You fight well together," the being mused. "A shame it will not last."

With a flick of its hand, the tendrils shifted—twisting, separating, striking at them individually.

Aeliana barely had time to react before she was wrenched away from Lucian.

The darkness coiled around her, dragging her backward despite her struggles. She reached out, but Lucian was already locked in his own battle, dodging attacks that seemed to anticipate his every move.

"Lucian!" she called.

His head snapped toward her—just in time to see the creature raise its hand.

A pulse of dark energy shot through the chamber.

Aeliana felt her power wane, her light flickering like a candle against the wind. She dropped to one knee, gasping for breath.

Lucian's expression darkened as he realized what was happening. "You're draining her."

"No." The being smiled coldly. "You are."

Lucian froze.

"Your very existence weakens her, just as hers weakens you. That is the truth of your bond." The being's gaze shifted to Aeliana. "He is your undoing, just as you are his. It is the will of the realms."

Aeliana's mind reeled. Was that why their powers faltered around each other? Why the universe itself seemed to push them apart?

Lucian clenched his fists. His shadows flared violently, but for the first time—they wavered.

"You cannot defy fate," the being said softly. "You must choose—before it chooses for you."

Aeliana struggled to her feet. "You're wrong."

The being turned to her, intrigued. "Am I?"

She took a deep breath, ignoring the weakness clawing at her. "Fate may have brought us here, but it doesn't decide who we are. We do."

Lucian's crimson eyes flickered.

For a moment, silence reigned.

Then, the being sighed. "A bold claim."

And then it attacked.

The chamber exploded into chaos. The floor cracked beneath them, stone pillars collapsing as dark energy erupted from the creature's form. The fight that followed was brutal—Aeliana and Lucian against something they barely understood.

But even as they fought side by side, the truth gnawed at them.

They could not exist together without destroying each other.

And as the battle raged on, one chilling realization settled between them.

One of them would have to let go.

---

End of Chapter 9.