Chapter 11: Echoes in the Dark

POV: Lila

The cave breathes around me like a sleeping beast…cold, silent, and unforgiving. My claws click against the rough stone as I walk deeper, each step echoing behind me. The air is damp. Stale. Every breath tastes like moss and dust.

Her scent is here.

It's everywhere.

Faint, but sharp enough to stab through my chest. It coils around the jagged rocks, clings to the tunnel walls, and drips from the ceiling like the water above is bleeding her into the earth.

I sniff the air again, just to be sure. Mira.

I hate how my body reacts. The moment her scent hits my nose, everything inside me stirs—familiar warmth, then a burn. I don't want to feel anything. Not for her. Not after what she did.

The tunnel narrows. I duck under a low ledge, my claws scraping the stone. Sparks flying in the dark.

"She's close," I mutter under my breath.

My voice sounds strange in here. Hollow. Like it doesn't belong to me.

I push forward, ignoring the tightness in my chest. The scent grows stronger. I try not to think about what that means—how recently she must've passed through. How scared she must've been. How alone.

No.

I dig my claws into the wall, anchoring myself in the present. There's no room for softness. No room for guilt.

She betrayed us.

She ran.

She chose them.

I quicken my pace, stepping over sharp rocks and broken pieces of old bones. The silence is heavy, pressing down on me like a hand around my throat. My ears twitch at every little sound—dripping water, a faint breeze, the shifting groan of the cave's belly.

My heartbeat matches the rhythm of my steps. I can feel it in my fingertips, in my jaw. I'm not sure if it's anger or something worse.

A part of me…deep down, buried under layers of rage and disappointment—just wants to see her. Just once. To look her in the eyes and ask why.

Why did you leave?

Why did you lie?

Why did you leave me behind?

I fold my teeth and growl low under my breath. "She made her choice."

I repeat it like a spell. Over and over. Louder each time.

"She made her choice. She made her choice. She made…"My voice cuts off. There's a shift in the air.

Something soft brushes against my foot. I look down My breath catches.

A ribbon. I stare at the ribbon for a long time.

It lies there like a ghost on the stone floor…crumpled, dirty, and torn at the edges. Faded pink. Soft silk. Mira's favorite one. The same ribbon she used to wear in her hair when she still laughed with me, trained beside me, fought beside me.

I kneel slowly and pick it up.

It's cold. Damp. But the moment I bring it closer, her scent wraps around me like a blanket. My heart stumbles in my chest. I close my eyes and let it flood me.

Mira laughing, spinning under the moonlight, her dark hair flying as the ribbon danced behind her.

Mira braiding my hair after a bad training day, whispering, "You're stronger than they think."

Mira pressing her forehead against mine during patrol and whispering, "We've got each other, okay?"

My throat tightens.

No.

I open my eyes and crush the ribbon in my fist.

No more memories.

They're lies now. All of them.

I force myself to stand and shove the ribbon into the pocket of my jacket. I don't know why I'm keeping it. Maybe I want her to see it again. Maybe I want her to remember what she threw away.

I start walking again, faster now. "She was just scared," a voice inside whispers.

I push it away "She didn't mean to hurt you I push harder". "She still loves you." I stop walking and punch the wall.

"Then why did she run?" I snarl. The impact splits the skin on my knuckles, and blood stains the stone.

I don't care. The pain keeps me focused. "She left," I say aloud, my voice echoing. "She made her choice."

I repeat it. Again. Again. Again, But this time… it feels weaker. The echo of her laughter haunts this place.

I hate it.

I want it gone.

My claws dig into the stone again as I drag myself forward. My ears twitch. Something shifts in the air behind me.

I hear Footsteps Soft but deliberate Someone else is here.

I spin around, claws raised.

"You once had her trust." The voice echoes, smooth and calm, cutting through the silence like a blade.

Cassian.

Of course it's him.

He steps out from the shadows, arms crossed, golden eyes watching me like he already knows what I'll do next. He looks tired. Worn. Like he's been chasing me for hours. Maybe he has.

"She trusted you, Lila," he says again, softer now.

"Don't," I growl. "Don't say her name like you understand." "I don't have to understand everything," he replies, stepping closer. "But I do know she loved you."

"Loved?" I scoff. "Past tense?"

He doesn't answer. Just watches me My claws twitch at my sides. I want to rip that calm expression off his face. He always thinks he's so wise, so careful. Like he's above all the pain the rest of us are drowning in.

"She ran," I snap. "She lied to us. Lied to me." "She didn't lie," he says, voice steady. "She was protecting you."

I laugh bitterly. "Protecting me? From what?"

"From the prophecy. From the Alpha. From the truth."

"You don't even know what the truth is," I snap, stepping closer. "You just like pretending you do."

He doesn't flinch. "And you like pretending you're not hurt." I stop. My heart stumbles. Cassian takes a slow breath. "You loved her, too. Didn't you?"

Silence.

I don't answer.

I can't.

He steps closer. "Lila…" "Shut up!" I snap. "You don't get to say her name. You don't get to act like you care!"

"I care about both of you," he says.

"Then stay out of my way." He sighs. "You're going to get yourself killed." "I don't care." "Yes, you do."

His voice is calm, but his eyes are sharp. Watching. Waiting. I fold my fists. My claws glow faintly in the dark.

Then I smile, slow and sharp. "You want to protect her?" He nods. "Then prepare to bleed."

Without warning, I charge.

Cassian barely has time to react. I slam into him, claws first. He blocks my strike with his forearm and stumbles back. I don't let up. I lunge again, aiming for his chest.

He dodges.

"Lila, stop!" he shouts.

I don't stop. He grabs my arm and twists, trying to pin me. I roll with it, using the momentum to flip over him and land behind his back.

I swipe at his shoulder. He hisses and jumps away, blood staining his shirt. "You're serious," he mutters.

"I told you," I growl. "Stay out of my way." He exhales, then lowers into a fighting stance.

"Fine."

Claws meet claws.

The cave shakes with every strike. Sparks fly as we crash into each other again and again. Every time he blocks, I get angrier. Every time he dodges, I come back harder.

"You're still angry with her," he pants. "But you're also angry with yourself."

"Shut up!"

"You feel guilty."

I slam him against the wall. "She made me feel weak," I growl into his face. "She left me behind."

He groans, grabbing my wrists. "She left to protect you, Lila. That's not weakness. That's love." His words sting more than his claws. I snarl and shove him away.

"She should've told me!" "She wanted to! But the Alpha threatened to kill you if she did!"

That stops me. Everything inside me stills.

"What?"

Cassian's chest heaves with every breath. "She found out about the prophecy. She knew the Alpha would never let both of you survive. She left to save you."

I stare at him.

"No," I whisper. "You're lying." "I swear on my life," he says. "She loved you enough to disappear."

Silence.

Then—BOOM. The ground shakes. Hard. We both stumble. "What was that?" I ask, claws still raised.

Cassian frowns. "I don't know. But it came from deeper inside." A rumble rolls through the cave. Dust falls from above. The ceiling groans.

Then we hear it…A scream Not an ordinary one. Mira's. My heart jumps. "Mira," I whisper.

Cassian's eyes widen. "She's still here." "I thought she ran." "She must've turned back."

I don't wait.

I sprint past him, deeper into the cave, following her scent. It's fresher now. Stronger. But so is the fear in it.

"Lila, wait!" Cassian yells behind me. "I'm done waiting," I shout over my shoulder. Another scream tears through the darkness.

I run faster.

Around the corner Through the tunnel. Until I reach…A wide cavern. Crystals glow faint blue. Water trickles somewhere in the back…And in the center—

Mira.

On her knees.

A figure stands over her, cloaked in black shadows, eyes glowing gold like fire.

"You finally came," the figure says, looking at me. Their voice is low, ancient, and cold.

My claws twitch. "Mira," I whisper, taking a step forward The figure blocks me. "She's mine now."

My heart pounds. Cassian skids to a stop beside me, eyes wide. "That can't be…" he breathes.

I glare at the figure. "Who are you?" The shadow laughs. "You know who I am, Lila." They step forward, and I see it.

My own face. Twisted. Dark. Wrong. "I'm you," the shadow says, voice like ice. "The part you buried. The truth you never wanted to face."

I can't breathe. Mira sobs softly. Cassian whispers, "We're too late." But I step forward, my claws glowing.

"No," I whisper.