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The room went silent. Even Aether's perpetual stillness seemed to deepen.

"And it terrifies me," I admitted, the truth of it burning in my throat. "Because what if I walk into that Void and I don't comeback out? What if I do, but I'm not myself anymore? What if—" I swallowed hard, voicing the fear that had been growing since the shadows first touched me.

Rethlyn shifted uncomfortably, but Vexa's eyes softened with something like understanding.

Effie just blinked, as if she couldn't quite grasp my insistence. "Well, of course you're something else. That's rather the point, isn't it?"

I turned back away, my mind trapped somewhere between anger and despair. Aether's voice cut through the air, sharp and cold.

"Running won't change what you are."

I pushed through the door into the hallway, needing to escape the weight of their expectations, their certainty, their casual acceptance of what they were asking. But as I walked away, I could feel it—that darkness inside me, shifting and stretching like it was finally waking up. Like it had been waiting all this time for me to acknowledge its presence.

And maybe that was what scared me most of all. Not that I might fail, but that I might succeed. That I might walk into the Void and find out that this was who I was meant to be all along.

The door opened with a hiss from behind me, and I quickened my pace.

“Where are you going?” Vexa called out.

“The stables.”

“But you’re going the wrong way,” Rethlyn chimed.

I paused, and took a deep breath in, trying to control my building anger, slowly turning on my heel and shouldering past them.

But it was Aether who stepped out behind me then, his form looming over mine. His shadows curled in my periphery. I could nearly feel his eyes burning holes in my back, causing the hairs onmy neck to stand on end. I wasn't getting slung overanyone'sshoulder today.

“Well, this is quite the fit,” he said, his tone dripping with some sick kind of humor. The words sent heat rushing to my face. Esprithe, Ihatedhim. Always lurking around every corner like some deranged stalker. What did the others even see in him?Second in command? Judgment here in Umbrathia was clearly lacking. I just needed time to think—to fucking breathe.Alone. But his footsteps remained mere feet behind me, scratching across the stone floor—an utterlyobnoxioussound. It was as if he thrived on agitating me, like heenjoyedpissing me off. It seemed to be the only time even a hint of amusement touched him.

And he couldseemy web? No wonder he always knew when to halt me. I couldn’t think of a worse person to have such an ability. Andwhycould he see it?

What is he?

If everyone didn’t leave me the fuck alone, I was going to explode. Without even intending to, I felt my web slam into my vertebrae and begin climbing.

“Leave us,” Aether shot towards the rest of them in a predatory tone, and their footsteps halted. “I’ll handle her.”

Handle me?

I tore towards the door, swinging it open before crunching through the stale grass of the lawn, the peak of the stables roof in the distance. Raskr was trotting along the edge of the expanse, near the border wall. I was surprised to see Rethlyn had actually remembered to remove his saddle today.

I prayed that Tryggar would be in the stables—prayed that I would be able to mount him. Either way, I was going to try. It was the only way I could imagine getting a lick of time to myself, with none of the Umbra looming over me. They weren’t idiots, it's not like I could escape in any real capacity. I had no idea where to go,where we evenwerein regards to the rip—to Sídhe. I didn’t even want to fly. I just wanted to get away from this place for a single fucking moment. My eyes shot to the ashen landscape of the world beyond the wall. I wanted to gothere.

“You walk up behind a Vördr like that and you’re going to get kicked in the face,” Aether spoke, somehow already directly behind me.

“Wonderful. A coma is just what I need to have a few blissful moments away from you.” I didn’t slow my stride.

“You’re more likely to get killed by a Vördr kick than the Void,” Aether remarked calmly, like it was a known statistic.

“Doesn’t sound promising,” I tossed back, looking through the stalls for Tryggar.

“So you’re a coward then? Like the rest of your realm.”

I nearly choked on the audacity. “We’re the cowards? You hide behindshadows.”

“Of course you’re a coward. The truth is literally slapping you in the face and you still run from it—still try to deny it. What’shappeninghere.” His voice turned dark.

“I’m not running from anything exceptyou. I need to think. I need to process all of this. You won’t give me a single moment of space.”