Chapter 8 · Take the Deal

"Stop pretending you're still the one holding the leash, Selena."

Cane’s hand didn’t just grab her; it locked around her throat, pinning her back against the cold, jagged stone of the Forbidden Realm’s spire. The pressure wasn’t enough to choke her out, but it was enough to let her know exactly how easy it would be.

Selena gasped, her fingers clawing at his wrist. Her white priestess robes, once the symbol of purity in Luminis, were shredded and stained with void-soot. She looked up at him, her eyes wide, flickering between terror and a stubborn, dying pride.

"I... I did what was necessary," she managed to choke out. "The purification... it was for the city. For everyone."

Cane leaned in. He didn't just move closer; he invaded her space until she could feel the unnatural chill radiating off his skin. He smelled like ozone and old graves.

"Necessary?" He let out a sharp, jagged laugh that sounded like breaking glass. "You called it purification. I called it being eaten alive by things that don't have names. You didn't save the city, Selena. You just cleared the way for someone else to take the throne.