“The binding of our marks and the freedom of our world is what we exist for. There’s no other path now.”
I ignored him and raced toward the rear doors, refusing to look back while the manor groaned and shifted on its foundation. I gasped as the interiors continued to fade and bleed into another dimension.
Servants fled in every direction, their cries echoing through the collapsing halls. Beyond the manor walls, the toll of church bells carried from Dornbruck Village, frantic and uneven, as though the village itself was sounding an alarm.
Outside, the roiling black head of a mushroom cloud settled over Sternwacht Cliff, effectively blocking us from approaching the vortex. The ozone odour was so strong I felt faint. As the darkness consumed the land, a violent spark of lightning openeda blazing rent from which several towering figures emerged. Obscured by the swirling darkness, it was impossible to see much beyond their sweeping black cloaks.
The leader moved forward while the others remained by the opening. A spectral wind howled like a chorus of tormented souls, sending a shiver of terror through my body and into my bones.
From the shadows near the edge of the Sternwacht Grounds, dozens of Ecliptuari stood unmoving, their masks glinting faintly. They did not flee like the servants. They stood with swords drawn, watching, silent, as if awaiting a command from forces unseen to fight if commanded.
Through the corner of my eye, I caught a brief glimpse of Namarelle among the fleeing crowd. Her wing stubs fluttered against her back in ragged bursts as she ran. She moved like the rest, yet her otherworldly form was a reminder that not all who fled belonged to this world.
The leader raised his hand and motioned for his companions to charge at us.
“Bring her to me!” the figure bellowed, staring menacingly atme. “Her existence belongs to the gate now.”
I wasn’t concerned for Seraphina, the brothers or their guards. I wanted only to get away from them all. Whatever they claimed to be or promised. I no longer trusted any of them. My daggers were my only allies now, and if survival meant using them and breaking free. That's what I would do. If I stayed, my soul would be taken. If I ran, at least I had a chance.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Torin’s hand shift as he yanked a weapon from inside his jacket.
“She’s of no value to you,” Seraphina boldly replied as she stood beside Fionn, her white hair billowing.
“Her existence hangs by a spider's silk, which will snap if you take her.”
Fionn placed his hands inside his coat and withdrew two weapons. He turned and nodded to Cillian, who ran quickly from the manor, his eyes communicating an unmistakable message. Now they weren’t the brothers who were disagreeing only moments ago. They were brothers, ready to stand at each other’s side at any cost.
“She belongs to no one!” Cillian said, his stance altering to that of my protector.
For once, he was right, I didn't belong to any of them. The leader ignored Cillian and advanced, his tread resonant as though his feet were many stone in weight.
Motioning to at least a dozen of his companions, they trailed a short distance behind him. I could see their fearsome, chiselled faces adorned with mythical tattoos and glowing olive eyes. They appeared otherworldly, yet unlike the brothers, they looked hard-edged and ruthless.
Weapons gleamed in their hands, their metallic surfaces catching the little light that remained. For a moment, I thought I saw cryptic symbols glowing on their skin, as if branded, but the darkness made it impossible to confirm any details.
The leader raised his hand, commanding his companions to charge forward.
***
Cillian yanked at my arm, dragging me toward the woods with such force that I stumbled, barely managing to keep up with him. Every instinct told me to break free of his hold, but I knew I had to follow him.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Namarelle running after us, swift as a startled rabbit. Her red hair flowed behind her like a veil, and her wing stubs beat against the air in ragged bursts. She looked like she might lift off at any moment.
At that instant, the Gatemen charged. Torin leapt forward, wielding a curved weapon that glowed with an eerie, ice-blue light.Fionn followed closely, his blades moving with the precision of a samurai swordsman. I wondered how they had concealed such weapons, but by now, I had learned not to question what seemed impossible.
The glow pulsed with a low, unpleasant hum that seemed to vibrate through the ground. Fionn and Torin engaged the Gatemen with dazzling speed. Steel clashed amid a blur of twisted bodies, enraged cries, and stomping feet that I could barely follow.
From the edge of the Sternwacht Grounds, more of the Ecliptuari began to appear. They had remained motionless until this moment. Then Seraphina’s voice rose above the chaos, her words echoed in the wind:
“Obedience is the chain, but the chain is breaking. Attack and protect the mark of the Seraphel Order at all costs.”
The words rippled through the air. The Ecliptuari tilted their heads in eerie unison, whispers curling from their lips. For the first time, they stepped forward, drawn into the chaos, and charged ahead.
“This time you die,” Fionn bawled. “We’ll no longer permit your interference!”
“Surrender her to The Cohort of the Gate Order or be destroyed,” the leader bellowed, leaping into the air like a terrifying spectre. “We’ve searched far and wide and will not retreat empty-handed. again.”
Cillian moved quickly towards me and pulled me toward the shelter of trees.
