Chương 67: 067

Shaking off the surreal realization that I'd just cursed out a being capable of carving a canyon, I forced my attention back to the chasm. Something shifted far below. It was subtle, just a disturbance in the dark, but when I squinted, trying to pierce the shadows, the hair on the back of my neck prickled like static. The sensation crawled over me, slow and deliberate, as if unseen eyes had locked onto me. I sidestepped. The feeling followed. It circled me, patient and intent, like a predator testing its distance.

Then a tendril of pure blackness uncoiled from the depths, reaching upward despite the impossible span between us. I recoiled from the edge, heart slamming against my ribs.

"Henry," I hissed, "what the hell is that?" He flinched, startled, Maya slipping from his hip as she wandered off to occupy herself.

"What's what?" Dominicus cocked his head, curiosity flickering across his face. Time, ever vigilant, only glanced at me, already assessing. I stabbed a finger toward the chasm.

"The shadows. They're moving." Understanding dawned on Henry's face. He sighed, though his expression darkened.

"Ah. That would be the grief of another spirit. The Lady of Shadow." From the corner of my eye, Time stiffened. No one else noticed as he went utterly still, his focus sharpening like a drawn blade.

"Something happened to her," Henry continued.

"No one knows what, only that her grief nearly devoured her. She cast it down into this place, and it's been growing ever since, twisting the land into a horrorscape, if the rumors are true. No one dares approach it, let alone attempt to cleanse it." I swallowed. The pressure intensified, as though the darkness had become aware of us…of me.

"So let me get this straight," I said slowly.

"There's a massive magical nightmare festering in the middle of the continent, and everyone just… ignores it?" Dura shrugged, grim resignation etched into her features as she peered over the edge.

"Pretty much." Time stepped forward, measured and wary.

"Those shadows are unnatural," he murmured.

"Has the Spirit of Light been informed?" Henry shook his head.

"A missive was sent to her temple years ago. No response ever came." Time's jaw tightened.

"Then we will deliver the message ourselves when our paths cross. This cannot be allowed to fester—especially if it continues to grow." Some of the tension bled from Henry's shoulders, though his unease remained.

"That would be appreciated. Even from here, it makes my skin crawl." A sharp crack echoed nearby. I flinched as the sound of crumbling stone sliced through the air. Instinctively, I took another step back from the edge. Whatever was down there, the sooner we left it behind, the better. I glanced at Time.

"What are the odds Light asks us to deal with this?" Please say none. Please say none. He shot me a tired look.

"High." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. I dragged both hands down my face.

"Fuck." Henry shot me a glare.

"Lan-." I waved him off.

"Yeah, yeah. Language." I frowned, scanning behind him.

"Actually… where's Maya?" Henry's eyes went wide. He spun around, panic flooding his voice.

"Maya! We just talked about wandering off!"

"I didn't leave your sight!" she called back. She was only a few yards away, crouched near the edge, studying a neon-pink flower growing improbably from cracked stone. Thankfully, she hadn't touched it yet. It would be exactly our luck if it were poisonous. Henry exhaled sharply, tension coiling through him.

"Maya, stay away from there. That's dangerous." She pouted over her shoulder.

"But I'm not touching it." Crunch. The sound snapped through the air like a gunshot. My blood ran cold. I recognized it instantly.

"Maya—get away from there!" I shouted. Too late. The ground beneath her shuddered, then split with a thunderous crack. Maya slid toward the edge, her scream catching in her throat. Henry lunged, shouting her name, but he was too far. She was already slipping out of reach. I didn't think. I moved. I threw myself forward, boots skidding sideways as I dove, catching a fistful of her shirt just as she tipped over the brink.

My free arm slammed into the jagged edge of the chasm, fingers biting into crumbling stone while my legs scrabbled for purchase. Pain tore through my arm. I ignored it, too relieved to care.

"I've got you," I grunted, hauling her close.

"And later, kid, we're having a very long talk about wandering off." Maya clung to me, tears spilling over as she nodded. Then the rock beneath me shifted.

"Hold on!" Henry shouted.

"We're coming!" He, Dura, and Time rushed forward, faces pale. Cracks spiderwebbed beneath their feet, and Henry swore under his breath.

"Language," I shot back. He barked out a nearly hysterical laugh.

"Not my priority!" The stone groaned again, louder this time. I made the call. With a desperate heave, I swung Maya upward and over the edge. She crashed into Henry's arms, both of them tumbling backward to safety. The ledge beneath me slid. Time's hand closed around my arm like iron, Dura grabbing my shoulder as they hauled me toward them. Dominicus sprinted closer, then froze as the ground cracked beneath his feet. Time's nails dug into my skin. Reckless boy. What were you thinking?!

His voice thundered in my mind, thick with fury… and fear. I grimaced. Wasn't thinking, but I don't regret it. His expression tightened. Then the ground beneath him began to give.

"Back up!" I shouted.

"It's going to collapse!" I felt it, cracks widening, the stone screaming under the strain. Time shook his head, grip tightening.

"I will not leave you to fall." Dura nodded fiercely.

"Same. Those shadows can fuck right off, they aren't getting you." Warmth flared in my chest, tangled with icy dread. Then another violent lurch tore through the ledge. Images of Karma flashed through my mind, her waking to find her husband dead. He wasn't supposed to be here like this. He wasn't supposed to be killable. She would never recover. I couldn't let that happen. I'm sorry. Time's eyes widened as realization struck too late. I shoved him. He stumbled backward into Dominicus. I turned to Dura.

"Let-."

"Not happening!" she snapped, tightening her grip, hauling me away. And then the ground vanished. The ledge broke apart beneath her too, sending us sliding. Something shifted in my hood. Volpe popped his head out, startled, and without thinking I grabbed his scruff and hurled him toward the others. Weightlessness seized me. Dura's grip was the only thing anchoring me as we plunged. I caught a glimpse of Time lunging back toward the edge, Henry grabbing him from behind, dragging him away before he could follow.

Then the world dropped away.

"Nikolas!" Time's shout echoed down the chasm as the wind tore at my hair and we fell.