Chapter 17 · The Price of a Cure

"One word, Kane. That's all it takes," the masked man said, his voice sounding like gravel grinding in a blender. He stepped closer, the edge of a jagged, obsidian-colored needle gleaming under the flickering neon of the alley. "Tell me where Marcus keeps the Master Deck, and I snap this bond. You get your soul back. She gets her life back. Simple."

Kane didn't move. He couldn't. The soul-bind was screaming again, a white-hot wire tightening around his chest, dragging his consciousness toward Evelyn. He could feel her heart hammering—not just her own, but the echo of it vibrating in his own ribs. It was a sickening, intimate tether that made every breath a shared struggle.

"Simple for who?" Kane spat, his voice raw. He shifted his weight, trying to keep his balance while the world tilted. "You don't just 'snap' a Forbidden Card binding. You're lying through your teeth."

"I'm offering a cure," the stranger countered, tilting his head. "Or a slow death. Your choice. Every second you hesitate, that bond eats another piece of your sanity. Look at her. She's shaking."

Kane glanced at Evelyn. She was pale, her fingers digging into the fabric of her jacket.