6: Shadows of Truth

The Institute's interrogation room was a cold, sterile box, its stone walls etched with runes that pulsed like a warning. I sat at a metal table, my hands clasped tightly to hide their trembling, the pendant around my neck a heavy anchor. The air was thick with the scent of wax and iron, and the single glowing orb above cast harsh shadows across Inquisitor Aldertree's face. He sat opposite me, his silver hair gleaming, his eyes like shards of ice. Two Clave enforcers stood by the door, their black gear and drawn seraph blades a silent threat. I felt like I was back in District 12, facing a Peacekeeper's judgment, except this time, the stakes were higher than a whipping or a night in the stocks.

Mira's face haunted me, her voice a whisper in my mind: *"You'll come back, right?"* I'd promised her I would, but every moment in this world pulled me further from her. The new rune on my arm, the one I'd drawn instinctively in the warehouse, still tingled, a jagged star that felt alive, like it was waiting to ignite again. It had stopped the demons, weakened the portal, but it had also drawn Aldertree's attention, and the weight of his scrutiny was suffocating.

"Lilia Thorn," Aldertree began, his voice smooth but laced with venom. "You stand before the Clave accused of wielding a forbidden rune, destabilizing a demonic portal, and potentially colluding with forces threatening the Shadow World. Do you deny these charges?"

I straightened, my jaw tight. "I'm not colluding with anyone," I said, my voice steady despite the knot in my stomach. "I didn't ask to come here, and I didn't choose this rune. I'm trying to find my way back to my sister, not start a war."

Aldertree's smile was thin, a predator's grin. "A convenient story," he said, leaning forward. "Yet you arrive with a rune tied to the First Accords, a relic of forbidden magic, and within days, we have demonic breaches and creatures from your world. You expect us to believe this is coincidence?"

"I expect you to believe I'm not a liar," I snapped, my temper flaring. "Those creatures were Peacekeepers, twisted by the same magic you're accusing me of. If anyone's to blame, it's the Capitol—or whoever's working with this Asmodeus demon."

Aldertree's eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, the door opened, and Maryse entered, her presence a quiet storm. Kyle followed, his expression guarded but his eyes flicking to me, a silent reassurance. "Inquisitor," Maryse said, her voice calm but firm, "Lilia is under the Institute's protection. She's cooperated fully, and her actions in the warehouse saved lives. This interrogation is premature."

Aldertree's smile didn't waver. "The Clave disagrees," he said. "But I'll allow her to prove her innocence—under supervision. She'll assist in investigating the portal's source, but any further use of that rune will be reported directly to Idris."

I clenched my fists under the table, my nails biting into my palms. Supervision, reports, Idris—more chains, just like the Capitol's. But I nodded, knowing resistance would only tighten the noose. "Fine," I said, my voice low. "I'll help. But I want answers too—about my mother, about this rune."

Aldertree's eyes gleamed, like he'd caught me in a trap. "Your mother, Elara Thorn, was a Shadowhunter who vanished twenty years ago," he said, his words deliberate. "She was suspected of tampering with forbidden magic, a crime punishable by death. If she passed that rune to you, it only deepens your guilt."

My breath caught, Elara's face flashing in my mind—her fierce eyes, her hand on her pregnant stomach. "She was protecting me," I said, my voice shaking. "She hid me in Panem to keep me safe from you."

"Safe?" Aldertree laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "She condemned you to a life of ignorance, and now you're a danger to us all. But we'll see what truths you uncover, Miss Thorn. Fail, and the Clave will not be merciful."

Maryse stepped forward, her expression unreadable. "Enough," she said. "Lilia, you're dismissed. Kyle, take her to the library. Catarina's found something."

As we left, Kyle's hand brushed my arm, a fleeting touch that grounded me. "You okay?" he asked, his voice low as we walked through the Institute's corridors.

"No," I admitted, my throat tight. "But I don't have a choice, do I?"

He didn't answer, but his silence was enough. He understood, in a way I hadn't expected. The library was quieter than the war room, its shelves a comforting maze of knowledge. Catarina waited at the oak table, a stack of scrolls and a leather-bound book open before her. Her blue eyes softened when she saw me, but there was a tension in her posture that set me on edge.

"Lilia," she said, gesturing to a chair. "I've been researching your rune. It's not just tied to the First Accords—it's a Binding Rune, one of the oldest and most dangerous. It can link worlds, minds, even souls, but it's unstable. Your mother must have known its power when she fled."

I sat, my heart pounding. "Link worlds," I echoed. "That's how I got here. And how those Peacekeepers did too."

Catarina nodded, pushing a scroll toward me. Its parchment was yellowed, the ink faded but legible, depicting a rune identical to mine, surrounded by warnings in a language I couldn't read. "The Binding Rune was outlawed because it could summon Greater Demons like Asmodeus," she said. "If the Capitol's using it, they're not just bridging worlds—they're trying to control them."

Kyle leaned over the table, his eyes scanning the scroll. "The cloaked man in the warehouse," he said. "He had red runes, demonic ones. If he's working for Asmodeus, the Capitol's just a pawn."

I clutched the pendant, its weight heavier with every word. "My mother knew," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "She hid me in Panem to keep this rune from them. But they're still looking for me."

Catarina's hand rested on mine, warm and steady. "You're not alone," she said. "We'll find the portal's source and stop this. But you need to be careful. That rune—it's part of you now. Using it could draw Asmodeus's attention."

Before I could respond, the pendant flared, its glow casting sharp shadows across the library. Pain lanced through me, and the room dissolved into a vision, vivid and relentless. I was in a sterile lab, its walls lined with machines that hummed like the Capitol's factories. Peacekeepers stood in rows, their armor etched with red runes, their eyes glowing like the creatures we'd fought. The cloaked man from the warehouse moved among them, his hands weaving runes that pulsed with dark energy. A portal shimmered in the center, its edges crackling, and beyond it, I saw Panem—District 12, its streets crawling with demonic shadows.

A voice echoed, deep and guttural, like a storm trapped in a cave. "The Binding Rune is awake," it said. "The girl will open the way, or she will break." I saw myself, standing before the portal, my rune glowing, and behind me, a figure wreathed in flame—Asmodeus, his eyes like burning coals, his smile a promise of ruin.

I snapped back, gasping, my hands gripping the table. Kyle was at my side, his face pale. "Lilia, what did you see?" he asked, his voice urgent.

I swallowed, my throat raw. "A lab," I said. "Peacekeepers, runes, a portal. And Asmodeus. He knows about me—about the rune. He said I'll open the way."

Catarina's face hardened. "We need to find that lab," she said. "If it's in the Shadow World, it's close. The portal's energy is strongest in New York."

Kyle's jaw tightened. "There's a warlock in Brooklyn who deals in black-market runes," he said. "Magnus Bane. If anyone knows about demonic labs, it's him."

I nodded, my resolve hardening. "Let's go," I said. "If this lab's the key to stopping Asmodeus, I'm in."

---

The journey to Brooklyn was a blur of city lights and tension. Kyle drove this time, his hands steady on the wheel, while Isabelle and Alec sat in the back, their weapons ready. I sat upfront, the pendant's glow faded but its weight a constant reminder. The city was alive, its energy a stark contrast to District 12's despair, but I couldn't shake the vision's chill. Asmodeus's voice lingered, a shadow in my mind, and I wondered if I was strong enough to face him—or if I'd break, like he'd promised.

Kyle glanced at me, his eyes softening. "You're quiet," he said, his voice low. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

I hesitated, then spoke, my voice barely audible over the engine. "I'm scared," I admitted. "Not just for me, but for Mira. If Asmodeus is after me, what's stopping him from going after her?"

Kyle's hands tightened on the wheel, but his voice was steady. "We won't let that happen," he said. "I know what it's like to lose family, Lilia. I won't let you go through that."

I looked at him, catching the pain in his eyes. "Your father," I said softly. "You said he was a traitor. What happened?"

He was silent for a long moment, the city lights flickering across his face. "He was a Shadowhunter," he said finally. "One of the best, until he got greedy. He made a deal with a demon—thought he could control it. It cost him everything. My mother, my sister… they died because of him. I was thirteen."

My chest ached, and I reached out, touching his arm. "I'm sorry," I said, my voice thick. "That's not your fault, Kyle."

He didn't pull away, his hand covering mine for a brief, warm moment. "Maybe not," he said. "But it's why I fight. To make sure no one else pays for someone's mistakes."

We didn't speak after that, but the silence was different now, heavier with understanding. When we reached Magnus Bane's loft, a vibrant building tucked in a quiet corner of Brooklyn, I felt a spark of hope. If this warlock could help us, I was one step closer to Mira.

Magnus was a whirlwind of charisma and power, his cat-like eyes glinting as he welcomed us. His loft was a riot of color—velvet couches, glittering chandeliers, and shelves packed with potions and books. "Kyle Wayland," he said, his voice a playful drawl. "And the mysterious Lilia Thorn. I hear you've been causing quite the stir."

"We need your help," Kyle said, cutting to the chase. "There's a demonic lab in the Shadow World, tied to Asmodeus and a portal to another world. Know anything about it?"

Magnus's smile faded, his eyes sharpening. "Asmodeus is no small player," he said. "But yes, I've heard whispers. There's a hidden enclave in the sewers, guarded by warlocks loyal to him. They're experimenting with runes—demonic ones. If your portal's tied to it, you'll need more than blades to get in."

He handed us a vial of shimmering liquid. "A glamour potion," he said. "It'll hide you from the enclave's wards. But be warned—Asmodeus's minions don't play nice."

As we left, the pendant flared again, and a brief vision flickered—Mira, hiding in a District 12 alley, her face pale but determined. My heart lurched, but the image faded, leaving me with a fierce resolve. I'd find her, no matter the cost.

---

The sewer enclave was a nightmare of damp stone and flickering red runes, its air thick with the stench of decay. We moved silently, the glamour potion masking our presence, but the pendant's hum grew louder, like a beacon. The lab was a cavernous space, its walls lined with vats of glowing liquid and tables strewn with rune-carved armor. A dozen warlocks worked, their hands weaving dark magic, and at the center, a portal pulsed, its edges crackling with demonic energy.

Before we could act, the cloaked man appeared, his red runes glowing. "You're too late," he said, his voice a hiss. "The Binding Rune is ours."

The warlocks attacked, their magic a storm of fire and shadow. We fought back, Isabelle's whip slicing through the air, Alec's arrows glowing with runes, Kyle's daggers a blur. I drew a new rune—Endurance—its energy steadying me as I swung my sword, cutting down a warlock's spell. But the cloaked man was stronger, his runes countering ours, and the portal flared, spitting out more Peacekeeper creatures.

"Lilia, the portal!" Kyle shouted, fending off a creature. I clutched the pendant, the Binding Rune glowing, and drew it on my arm, its power surging. The portal shuddered, its light dimming, but the cloaked man laughed, raising his hands. "Asmodeus claims you," he said, and a wave of dark energy knocked me back.

Kyle caught me, his arms steady. "You're not his," he said, his voice fierce. "Fight, Lilia."

I nodded, drawing another rune—Defiance, a name that came unbidden. Its glow was blinding, and the energy tore through the lab, shattering the vats and forcing the cloaked man to retreat. The portal flickered, weakened but not closed, and we fled as the enclave collapsed, the warlocks' screams echoing behind us.

Back at the Institute, Aldertree was furious, but Maryse silenced him. "She's proven herself," she said. "The enclave's destroyed, and the portal's weakened. Lilia's with us."

In my room, Kyle stayed, his presence a quiet comfort. "You did good," he said, his voice soft. "But this isn't over."

"I know," I said, my hand finding his. "But I'm not fighting alone anymore."

He squeezed my hand, his eyes holding mine, and for a moment, the world felt smaller, safer. But the pendant's weight, the rune's burn, and Asmodeus's promise lingered. The war was coming, and I was at its heart.

---

**Author's Note**

Shadowhunters and Tributes, you're absolute ROCKSTARS for diving into Chapter 6! 😱 This one's a beast, and I'm LIVING for Lilia's rune powers and that intense Kyle moment—can we say slow-burn vibes?! 👀 What's your take on the visions, Asmodeus, or that creepy cloaked guy? Drop your theories and feels in the comments—I'm obsessed with your thoughts! If you're loving *Flames of the Shadows*, please hit that vote button and add it to your library. Next chapter's coming soon, and it's gonna be WILD. Thanks for being the best readers in all the worlds! 💖