Morning brought blood.

One of the rebels was dead-throat slit, message carved in flesh: “You cannot escape fate.”

Panic erupted. But Riyan’s eyes were already on Mira, who had arrived hours earlier under the guise of help.

Anaya: “You followed us?”

Mira (bitterly): “I loved you, Anaya. Like a sister. And you threw it all away for him.”

Riyan (coldly): “You were never on our side.”

But before she could answer, a horn blew from above the Council’s forces had found them.

Betrayal. War. Secrets exploding in every corner.

And amidst the chaos, Mira whispered one last truth.

Mira: “They’ve already begun the ritual to erase your bond. They have your mother. You have hours before it’s too late.”

With fire in their veins and vengeance in their hearts, Anaya and Riyan vanished into the storm.