And somehow, in the middle of ash and monsters and ruin, it feels like a promise.
Before I forget, my portal shimmers open, bridging the gap between Ziek’s village and here. The torchlight spills like a river across the scorched earth, a brief contrast to the destruction that surrounds me. I poke my head through, calling out, “Xavier!”
He comes running, boots kicking up dust and ash, eyes wide as they take in the blackened ground and the bodies strewn across it.
“It’s okay…” I say softly, letting the warmth of my energy seep into him. “…we won.”
For a moment, relief floods his features, chasing away the fear. A large, radiant smile breaks across his face, and he throws his arms around me. Then, with renewed purpose, he darts off toward the others in the distance, checking on friends, making sure they’re alive, each step lighter than the fear that had weighed him down moments ago.
I watch him go, chest heaving, and a quiet smile tugs at my lips. For the first time in hours, maybe days, I allow myself to breathe.
The battle is over.
When I turn, I realise that the rest of the school stands behind me, staring at the marble statue, at the fading smoke, atme. Their faces are slack with astonishment—eyes wide, mouths parted—as though they’ve just witnessed something they’ll spend years trying to understand.
Maybe they have.
They’ve seen me for who I am now.
The Star within me.
The girl who loves a Moon.
And yet—they cheer through their wounds and battle scars.
They cheer so loudly it drowns out the thunder of my own heartbeat, a roar of relief and triumph that shakes the air. For the first time since this nightmare began, I feel something like hope ignite inside my chest.
“You’re going to have to tell me how you made those shadow stairs,” Ryder chuckles, pulling me closer.
“I… I don’t know how I did it, or if I could even still do it without the gem.” I shrug, my heart still hammering against my ribs.
“I bet you could.” His smile is warm, full of adoration, and for a moment, I just stare at him, brows furrowed. “You don’t need that gem. You’re more powerful than you’ll ever know.”
…“And that fire army… don’t even get me started on that.”
His smile broadens, causing me to chuckle, and for the first time in a long while, it feels like the world softens around us.
“I love you,” I smile, breathless, as I grab him and crash my lips onto his.
“I love you, stalker,” he whispers against my mouth. “It was always you… It’s always going to be you.”
His lips answer mine with a sweetness made just for me, and my lungs finally settle. Months of hiding, of fear, of stolen moments—gone. We can love each other now without shadows clinging to our backs. I exhale into him, and he feels it too. This moment is everything we’ve survived for.
I open my eyes for just a heartbeat.
And freeze.
River stands a few paces away, shadows crawling down his arms, as he cradles the gem in both hands. His expression is distant and haunted, his brows drawn and eyes glassy with a thought he hasn’t spoken aloud.
But I see it. Iknowthat look. It cleaves through me like a blade of ice.
His eyes lift to meet mine, like two ships locking onto each other across a dark, rising tide.
“River,” I choke out, panic flaring sharp in my chest.
“River—please—don’t.”
Chapter Forty-Three
