The air in the cavern thickened, heavy with the weight of unseen power. The shadows weren't just present—they were alive, curling and shifting like sentient things, drawn to Selene like moths to flame.
Havyn crouched low, every muscle in his body coiled tight, his instincts screaming at him to move, to fight, to tear through anyone who dared to take Selene from him. But something about these people—the Daughters of the Abyss, as Selene had called them—made him hesitate.
Not out of fear.
Out of uncertainty.
Because for the first time since he had met Selene, she wasn't standing beside him, defiant and ready to fight.
She was terrified.
Her fingers trembled, her silver eyes locked on the hooded woman before them. Havyn had never seen her like this—not even when she had nearly died in his arms.
He didn't like it.
The leader of the robed figures took another step forward, and the pressure in the cavern increased, pressing against Havyn's skin like an unseen force.
"The Marked One returns," the woman murmured, her voice as smooth as silk, yet edged with something sharp enough to cut. "You were never meant to leave us, child."
Selene's breath hitched. "You should be dead."
The woman tilted her head. "And yet here we stand."
A hum of agreement rippled through the gathered figures, their voices blending into something unnatural—like a whisper and a growl at once.
Selene shook her head, her jaw tightening.
"No," she whispered, but the word was hollow. "I burned the sanctum. I made sure there were no survivors."
Havyn's chest tightened at the way her voice cracked.
The hooded woman smiled.
"You were always strong, little one. But not strong enough."
The torches lining the cavern flickered—not from wind, but from some unseen force. The shadows lengthened, moving in ways that defied logic, twisting toward Selene as if they were drawn to her.
She flinched, stepping back, and Havyn's entire body tensed.
Enough.
He moved in front of her, placing himself between her and the robed figures. His claws flexed, his pulse steady even as anger curled hot in his chest.
"Step away from her."
The woman's gaze shifted to him, and for the first time, she truly looked at him.
A slow, knowing smile spread across her lips.
"Ah," she murmured. "The shifter."
The way she said it made his skin crawl—like she was speaking of an animal, not a person.
Havyn bared his teeth.
"She doesn't belong to you."
The woman exhaled a quiet laugh. "Oh, but she does."
Her hand lifted, and before Havyn could react—
Selene gasped.
Her body arched, her fingers clutching at her chest as if something were trying to rip its way out of her.
Havyn moved on instinct, catching her before she could collapse. "Selene!"
Her breathing was ragged, her pupils dilated, sweat beading on her forehead.
Havyn's grip tightened around her. "What's happening?"
Selene's lips trembled.
"They're... pulling it back."
A chill crept down his spine. "Pulling what back?"
Her silver eyes locked onto his, filled with something he had never seen before.
Desperation.
"My magic."
---
The Chains of the Abyss
Selene's magic had always felt like something untamed—a storm that she wielded like a blade, sharp and ruthless.
But now, it was being taken.
The shadows coiled tighter, the marks on her skin flaring with dark, unnatural light. Her breathing hitched as her body twitched, her magic responding to something unseen.
Havyn's blood boiled.
His instincts screamed at him to tear them apart, to rip these people limb from limb until there was nothing left but the sound of their dying breaths.
He had felt Selene's power before—the way it surged and coiled like a living thing. He knew it wasn't something that could be forcibly taken.
Unless—
His eyes snapped to the leader.
"You're using a binding spell."
The woman's lips curled into something almost... pleased.
"You understand more than I expected, shifter."
Havyn's grip on Selene tightened. "Let. Her. Go."
The leader sighed. "I'm afraid that's not possible. The Marked must return to the Abyss. It is where she was born. It is where she belongs."
Selene shook her head violently, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. "I don't belong to you."
The woman exhaled.
"Perhaps you need a reminder."
She lifted her hand again, and this time—
Selene screamed.
---
Breaking the Chains
Havyn had never heard that sound from her before.
Not when she had taken a blade to the ribs.
Not when she had been on the edge of death.
But this—this was different.
Because it wasn't just pain.
It was loss.
Havyn saw it—felt it. The way her magic was ripped from her veins, dragged toward the robed figures as if being called home.
Selene's entire body shook.
Havyn snapped.
A snarl ripped from his throat, his vision blurring with red.
He lunged.
The leader expected it.
She lifted a hand, shadows twisting around her fingers, ready to send him flying again—
But this time, he was faster.
Havyn's claws tore through her defenses, his form shifting mid-air. Fur rippled over his arms, his muscles expanding as he slammed into her with full force.
The woman's eyes widened—just before Havyn's claws sank into her flesh.
A sharp gasp left her lips, her body jerking from the impact.
The other figures reacted instantly, their hands lifting, magic flaring—
Selene moved first.
Her fingers snapped up, shadows bursting from her palms, her magic a wild storm despite her weakened state.
The tendrils coiled around her enemies, pulling them backward, giving Havyn enough time to dig deeper into the leader's flesh.
The woman hissed, her hood falling back.
Havyn barely caught a glimpse of pale, flawless skin and piercing onyx eyes before she vanished.
Not teleported.
Not fled.
She simply became shadow, slipping through his grip like mist before reforming several feet away.
Her breathing was steady. Controlled.
But her expression had changed.
She was no longer amused.
She was furious.
And when she spoke—
It wasn't just her voice.
It was many voices, layered over one another, filling the cavern with something cold and ancient.
"You have sealed your fate, beast."
The cavern shook.
The shadows rose.
And the battle truly began.