And that’s the problem.
For centuries, I carried the certainty of our connection—the knowledge that we were meant to find each other again. It wassupposed to be me and her. A reunion of souls. A return to what was stolen from us.
But now?
Now she looks at me and sees a stranger.
Now she’s bonding with others.
And I can feel it.
The connections growing one by one, tightening around her like threads of fate. Each bond reinforcing something different. The strength of the berserkers. The shadows of Malrik. The chaos of Finn.
And me.
Still here. Still bound. But no longer the only one.
Revna studies me in silence, her eyes as sharp as the truth she’s been waiting for me to admit. Finally, she says, “You’re afraid you’ll lose her.”
A bitter laugh escapes me. “I already have.”
She frowns. “She’s still yours, Kieran.”
I shake my head. “Not like I thought. Not like before.”
Revna sighs. “You thought she would come back, and the bond would be exactly as it was before. Just the two of you.”
I nod, throat tight.
“But that’s not how the bond works for Valkyries,” she reminds me gently. “It was never meant to be just one. Each connection strengthens different aspects of her power. It’s balance, not competition.”
Balance.
The word grates against something deep inside me.
“It’s not just about fate choosing companions,” Revna continues. “It’s about what she needs. And Kaia?” She meets my eyes squarely. “She’s not just a Valkyrie. She’s the last Valkyrie.”
I clench my jaw. I know.
I hate how right she is.
“The Hall of Echoes will make her see,” Revna says. “It was built for this. Where Valkyries once acknowledged their bonds, where fate aligned them with those meant to stand beside them. She won’t be able to deny it once she steps inside.”
I exhale slowly, nodding. “That’s why I chose it.”
And that’s why I hate it.
Because once she enters that chamber, it will all become real.
Her bonds.
The ones with them.
And the one with me.
The Hall looms ahead, its entrance framed by towering runes that glow faintly, thrumming with magic older than most of the sanctuary itself. The air shifts as we approach—heavy with memory, thick with power.
The Hall of Echoes is unlike any other place in the sanctuary. It doesn’t just hold history, it preserves it. Magic lingers here, etched into the stone, woven through the air. It’s where Valkyries once gathered to make important decisions. Where the royals gathered after, seeking wisdom.
