Shadow Bound Fate

Secrets In The Shadows

Lira's POV

I paced back and forth along the balcony, the sound of my footsteps echoing in the quiet night. The stars above glittered in the dark sky, but they did little to ease the storm of anxiety churning inside me. "I don't like this, Thalia," I muttered, trying to keep my voice steady. The longer we waited, the more uneasy I became.

Thalia, standing by the double doors, had her arms crossed, her eyes fixed on the entrance as if willing the doors to open. "It never takes this long," she said, her voice low and tense. She shook her head, her brow furrowing. "Something doesn't feel right."

Her words only made my heart race faster, the pulse in my ears drowning out the faint sounds of the night. Two hours. We had been out here for almost two hours, waiting. The longer we stood in silence, the more my nerves spiked. My fingers twitched with pent-up energy, and I could feel the raw surge of my magic coursing beneath my skin, agitated and restless.

Vespera's voice slid into my mind, coiling around my thoughts like a serpent. "Calm yourself, chosen one."

I clenched my fists, frustrated. "Like that's possible right now? I don't even know if he's okay!" I snapped, not in the mood for his cryptic calmness.

"Then why don't you ask him?" Vespera's tone was maddeningly casual, as if this were the simplest thing in the world.

"How the hell am I supposed to do that when he's not even here?" My anger flared.

"He doesn't need to be here,"  Vespera responded, a smirk almost audible in his words. "He's a shadow wielder."

"And?" I demanded, already tired of his games. My frustration grew with each passing second.

"And you can speak to shadows."

His words made my blood run cold. I froze in place, my pacing forgotten. "Are you saying I can talk to Caius through his mind?" The thought alone was enough to send a ripple of shock through me.

"You've done it before," Vespera purred. "You just never realized it."

I stared blankly at the ground, my mind reeling with the implications of what he was saying. The power to connect to someone like that? To reach Caius, even when he was far away?

Thalia's voice brought me back to the present. "What is it?" she asked, her sharp eyes catching the shift in my demeanor. She paused her pacing, watching me closely.

I shook my head subtly, tapping my ear to signal that I couldn't explain right now. "I'll tell you later," I mouthed, hoping she would understand.

Thalia gave a slight nod, though I could tell she wasn't pleased. She resumed her pacing, glancing occasionally at the door with a frown.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. If Vespera was right, if I truly had this connection with Caius, then I had to focus. I closed my eyes, grounding myself, pushing through the layers of fear and panic swirling in my chest. Please be okay, I whispered into the quiet of my mind, a mantra I repeated over and over, hoping somehow it would reach him. Please be okay, please be okay.

The night stretched on around me, the village below us dark and still, illuminated only by the dim glow of streetlights. The air was thick with the weight of the unknown, the passage of time growing heavier with every minute. I had no idea what time it was anymore—late, surely. The world felt like it was holding its breath.

Then, suddenly, a voice cut through the silence of my thoughts. "I'm okay, little shadow."

I gasped, my breath catching in my throat. The sound of Caius' voice in my head stilled me completely. For a moment, everything stopped. I didn't dare move, afraid the connection would break. His words, so simple, yet filled with reassurance, sent a wave of relief crashing over me.