Page 67 of Crossing Between

"Shanna?" I whispered again into the void, my voice trembling. The familiar figure stepped closer, her form illuminated by an ethereal light that seemed to emanate from within. She looked exactly as last time. Kind eyes and that gentle smile that had made me feel safe.

"Hello, little dragon."

"Am I dead?" I asked, looking around at the endless darkness surrounding us.

Shanna shook her head. "No. We're in what you might call a space between spaces. Your soul reached out for guidance, and I answered."

She reached for my hand, and I gasped as our fingers touched. Her skin was warm, solid, real. "There's so much you need to know, and we don't have much time."

Her expression grew serious as she continued, "The Essencefeaster wasn't always the monster you see now. It was originally a dragon. It was meant to be a cleanser, a purifier."

"What went wrong?" I thought of Ryan's twisted form.

"It became corrupted by the very darkness it consumed. But you, Zoey, you have the power to undo that corruption." She squeezed my hand. "Your magic gives you the ability to pull souls back from corruption, but only if they want to be saved. And Ryan, beneath all that darkness, is still fighting."

Hope bloomed in my chest. "There's a way to save him?"

"Yes. It's called the Severance Rite, an ancient spell created by the first Soulbinders. It can split a soul into two distinct threads, allowing you to cut away the corruption while preserving the host."

My heart raced with possibility, but Shanna's grave expression told me there was more. "What's the catch?"

"The ritual requires tremendous power, and it's dangerous. You'll need to channel pure soulfire, something only possible when you're emotionally anchored." She paused, her eyes meeting mine. "You'll need three soul anchors connected to your magic."

"Varon, Kenji, and Elias," I breathed, understanding dawning. "That's another reason you wanted me to complete the bonds with them."

Shanna nodded. "Their connections to you aren't just romantic entanglements, Zoey. They're magical bonds, forged by your heart and strengthened by your shared experiences. You'll need all three of them to complete the ritual."

"But there's something else, isn't there?" I could read it in her expression.

"The ritual will attract corrupted souls like moths to a flame," her voice dropped. "They'll try to stop you, to protect the source of their corruption. And when the Essencefeaster senses what you're attempting," she swallowed hard. "It will raise the dead to defend itself."

I felt the blood drain from my face as the full implications hit me.

"Essencefeaster’s have consumed countless souls over centuries. It can use that power to animate corpses, to create an army of the undead. But you've already seen that." Shanna's grip on my hand tightened. "You'll need to be prepared for that."

The darkness around us began to pulse, and Shanna's form flickered.

"Our time is running out. Remember what I've told you.

The Severance Rite is your only chance to save Ryan, but it must come from a place of love, not fear.

Your connection to Varon, Kenji, and Elias, that's your strength. That's what will make this possible."