Eclipse Love

The cold stone walls whispered secrets of old magic as Selene crept through the dark corridors of Vale's kingdom. Her fingers tightened around the silver key Eris had given her, its cool weight grounding her.

She moved swiftly, her pulse thrumming in her ears. Each step was calculated, each breath measured.

She couldn't afford to fail.

Because if she did—she would never see Lucian again.

The corridor twisted into a narrow passage, lined with torches that cast flickering golden light across the dark marble. Shadows danced at the edges, shifting in ways that made her skin crawl.

Vale's magic was woven into this place.

She could feel it watching her.

Not now. Focus.

Eris had said the western passage would take her beyond the wards. If she could just get there, she could run.

She reached the end of the corridor and pressed the key into the iron lock of a heavy wooden door.

Click.

It turned.

Her chest tightened with hope as she pushed it open and—

The air changed.

A sudden, suffocating force wrapped around her like an invisible vice.

Selene staggered, her breath hitching as dark magic rippled through the air.

Her eyes widened.

He knows.

A deep, amused voice slithered through the silence.

"Did you really think I wouldn't feel you running, my love?"

Selene whirled around, heart pounding.

Vale stood at the far end of the corridor, bathed in the golden torchlight. His golden eyes glowed, a smirk playing on his lips.

He looked utterly calm, as if he had expected this.

As if he had been waiting for it.

Selene's pulse raced.

Run.

She turned and bolted.

The Chase Through the Shadows

Her feet pounded against the stone, breath ragged as she sprinted through the dark passage.

She could hear Vale behind her, his footsteps slow and deliberate, like a predator toying with his prey.

Too slow.

She pushed herself harder, rounding a sharp corner—

The floor beneath her shifted.

The stones twisted and warped, the path stretching impossibly long before snapping back into place.

Magic.

Selene stumbled, catching herself just in time.

Vale's chuckle echoed through the walls. "I warned you, Selene. This is my realm."

Her chest heaved. She had to get out before he trapped her completely.

And then—

She saw it.

At the end of the passage, just beyond the arching stone doorway, was a thin veil of silver mist.

The boundary of the wards.

If she could just—

Pain exploded through her body.

A violent force yanked her backward, slamming her into the cold stone wall. Her head spun, black spots dotting her vision.

Vale's shadow tendrils wrapped around her wrists and ankles, pinning her in place.

She gasped, struggling against the magic's iron grip, but it was too strong.

Footsteps approached.

Slow. Unhurried.

Vale stopped in front of her, tilting his head. "Tsk. I'm disappointed, Selene. You didn't even say goodbye."

Selene glared at him, her breath shaky but defiant. "I wasn't planning to."

Vale smirked. "And yet, here you are. Caught."

Selene gritted her teeth, fighting against the magic constricting her limbs. "Let me go."

Vale sighed, reaching out to brush a loose strand of hair from her face.

She flinched away, but his fingers barely grazed her skin before withdrawing.

"You still don't understand, do you?" His voice softened, almost gentle. "You are meant to be here. You and I—" His golden eyes darkened. "We are bound by fate, Selene."

She snapped. "Fate is a lie."

Vale's smirk faded. A flicker of something sharp crossed his expression—anger, perhaps, or something worse.

Then—his grip tightened.

Selene gasped, her body jerking as the shadows coiled tighter, pressing into her skin. The magic burned, seeping into her bones.

"Say that again," Vale murmured.

Selene refused to break.

Through gritted teeth, she spat, "I will never be yours."

For a moment, silence stretched between them.

Then Vale's lips curled into something darkly amused. "Oh, my love." He leaned in, his breath warm against her ear.

"You already are."

Selene's blood ran cold.

Dark magic surged from Vale's hands, and suddenly—

Her world went black.

Lucian's Fury

Miles away.

Lucian bolted upright, his chest heaving.

Pain seared through his connection with Selene, sharp and sudden. His hands curled into fists, his fangs bared as his vision blurred with red-hot rage.

"Selene," he snarled.

Darius and Astrid, who had been tending to Ansel, snapped their heads toward him.

Astrid's eyes widened. "What's wrong?"

Lucian barely heard her.

He could feel her distress, her fear.

And worse—

He could feel Vale's presence wrapped around her like a vice.

Lucian shot to his feet. "I need to get to her."

Darius stood. "Lucian, wait—"

But Lucian didn't.

Didn't hesitate.

Didn't think.

His entire body exploded forward, moving faster than his mind could process.

Because Selene needed him.

And he would tear Vale apart to bring her back.

End of Chapter Twenty-One