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He draws another deep, shuddering breath.

“When the soldiers returned with Bernold and Faelas’s father’s bodies, we were shattered.

But even in our grief, we knew something was wrong.

Bernold’s assistants were acting strangely secretive.

They retreated to his crypt, refusing to let us near his writings.

They collected all of his belongings and shipped them off to Firelands before we could even understand what was happening.

We never found out how he’d found the earth fragment or what he was doing in that cursed place where he died.

All I found was a small pouch hidden in my room.

A piece of rock was inside, along with a note that claimed the rock held the power to move mountains if unlocked.

It warned me, in no uncertain terms, to keep it hidden and guard it from my father and his fellow Ahiras. To protect it with my life.

“It was a few days before I turned sixteen. I didn’t know who to trust except for Bahador, his father, and Faelas.

For thirteen years, we’ve been trying to piece together the puzzle.

We knew Firelands and sorcerous Daevas had hidden bases in our land, searching for something, but we assumed it was the stone Bernold left behind in my room.

We were blind, Arien. We didn’t know about the Star or its fragments.

We only learned the truth here when I accidentally saw you breaking into Martyshyar’s wing and joined.

I saw the place where Bernold was murdered marked on that map.

And many places that seemed like Martysh was looking for something.

And then, when Faelas impulsively asked you to eavesdrop on the Martysh folks in the tavern. None of that was planned. I swear it.”

His voice hardens. “Learning about the Star and its fragments in that tavern changed everything. It raised a thousand questions. What was it? How many fragments were there? Who could wield their power? At that point, we knew that we needed your help to unravel the mystery. But it was all for nothing. Martysh knew why we were here. They let us run around, searching, because it didn’t matter.

We weren’t a threat. We used the invisibility potion to infiltrate the Martyshyar wing.

That’s where Kamran caught us and told us that they’d known all these years that we had the earth fragment. ”

He falls silent. I can feel his eyes on me.

I find myself wondering what shade of blue his eyes are at this moment.

I have seen them in every light and every mood.

A lighter, almost playful blue in the chaos of the arena.

A serene blue like the endless sky, when we walked in the mountains.

A deep, comforting blue during the times we sat by the fire, sharing stories and laughter.

And a middle hue, like the vast expanse of the sea, as we navigated the streets of Shemiran.

The realization that I know the nuances of his eye color so well sends a wave of bittersweet longing through me. What shade of blue do they hold now? I can no longer bear the suspense.

Slowly, I lift my gaze, meeting his eyes. They are stormy and cloudy blue, filled with a raw emotion that I can’t even name. As I look at them, the world seems to fall away, leaving only the two of us suspended in a moment of tangled feelings.

“Is that why you got close to me?” I whisper.

His face twists and a spasm of pain crosses his features. He steps toward me and drops to his knees before me in a sudden, unexpected movement. His hands reach out to enclose mine, forcing me to meet his gaze. The contact sends a wave of emotions through me.

“No,” he says, his voice firm, his eyes burning into mine.

“I swear to you, Arien, on Bahador’s life, on Faelas’s, on everything I hold dear—my intentions were never that calculated.

You intrigued me after the first trial. You were interesting.

But you kept your distance, and I…” He hesitates, searching for the right words.

“During the second trial, seeing those Ahiras’s contempt…

it sparked something in me. Maybe protectiveness.

And then we were allies. We became friends.

I never expected that, Arien. I never expected to connect with an Ahira, to care about one.

” He pauses, his grip on my hands tightening slightly.

“It was only after what we heard in the tavern when we were struggling to find information about the Star that Faelas suggested asking for your help. I was reluctant, but I thought… I thought we could help you win, and you could help us access the information we need. A mutually beneficial arrangement. It seemed… clean. Logical. Safe. I was wrong. So terribly wrong.” He closes his eyes for a moment, and pain contorts his features.

“It was in the wilderness that changed everything. Seeing you risk everything to keep me safe while I was lying to you, deceiving you about who I really was… it made me sick with shame. And then, in that cottage, seeing you so desperate to win… it broke something inside me. I realized I was no better than my family. I was just like the people I despised. I was about to ask for your help, risking your chances in the trials while lying to you.” He opens his eyes, his gaze locking onto mine, pleading for understanding.

“I couldn’t go with that plan anymore. I couldn’t bear to keep deceiving you.

That’s why I excluded you from our mission.

I didn’t deserve your friendship or your trust. I was ashamed. ”

His sincerity is disarming, and his plea sounds genuine.

But I can’t allow myself to be swayed again.

And I don’t even crave it. After all, it doesn’t matter if I believe him or not.

The trial looms ahead, and regardless of my choice, that will be the end of our connection.

This is likely our very last conversation.

“Arien, please believe me. I know I don’t deserve your trust, but I’m not lying to you now.”

“Why does it matter?” I counter with a hollow voice. “You’re not joining Martysh. Soon, we will be strangers. Why do you care if I believe you?”

“Because I want you to come with us to Izadeon,” he says with fierce determination .

I search his eyes for any hint of deception or mockery but find only earnestness. Then, a chilling thought takes root in my heart. Does he know about the sorceresses and their ability to wield the power of the fragments? But how could he? Even Lirael had to test it first to be sure.

“Why?” I ask with a frown.

“Because you will be miserable here. And we need you in Izadeon. Arien, all three of us care for you deeply. We can have adventures. We can unravel the mystery of the Star’s fragment together.

I know I have no right to ask for your help, but are you truly certain this is the life you want?

The Martysh life? Bound by an oath forever? ”

His words mirror the doubts that have plagued me since I locked myself in this room.

For a moment, I envision a life with them—sharing meals, laughter, and adventures with Darian, Bahador, and Faelas.

The thought sparks a pang of excitement somewhere deep in my core.

Somewhere that I thought was hollow and numb…

No!

I quickly banish the dream. It is just another illusion. Another deception.

“Darian,” I say, my voice wavering slightly, trying to inject a note of practicality into this increasingly surreal conversation, “if I lose this trial, I have to return to Firelands. I can’t just wander around the continent.”

He meets my gaze with a fierce sincerity in his eyes. “When we wake up in the valley, I’ll come with you to Firelands. Then I’ll take you back with us to Izadeon.”

My head is throbbing with a dull ache behind my eyes. “Darian. Firelands would not send an Ahira to Izadeon. Especially not a fourth-ringed sorceress.”

His expression hardens, and a flicker of that aristocratic steel returns. “They will. I have something Emmengar needs. I know how to negotiate with him.”

“What could you possibly have that Emmengar would trade a sorceress for?”

He hesitates.

“I thought that you were here to tell me the truth,” I say with bitter sarcasm.

“I’ll tell you, but only if you give me your word that you won’t join Martysh. Promise me, Arien. Because if you do, you’ll be bound by oath to reveal everything I tell you now.”

“And how do you know they don’t already know about whatever this secret is? You thought they were ignorant of your fragment. You were wrong.”

“They don’t know. This is different. It’s a secret held closely, known only to a select few in Izadeon and Firelands, including Emmengar. It’s our leverage, and I can use it to bring you to Izadeon.”

“You expect me to abandon everything based on a secret you refuse to share?” I say, incredulous, my voice rising with frustration.

The look he gives me is what I can only describe as one of helplessness. “If I tell you, and you still choose Martysh, I’ll have betrayed Izadeon. I can’t do that. I won’t be like my family. But I will tell you, Arien. Right here, right now. If you swear, you won’t join them.”

“I could lie,” I say bitterly, even though I know it’s a lie. “I could promise you anything just to hear what you have to say.”

His eyes soften. “But you won’t. I know you, Arien.

That’s why I’m here. That’s why I approached you in the first place.

There’s something about you… I can’t explain it.

It’s like… like our souls recognize each other like we’ve known each other in some other lifetime.

” He leans closer, his breath warm against my skin.

“And that’s why I’m willing to risk everything to share a secret that I’ve guarded with my life if you just give me your word.

Because I trust you, Arien. More than I trust anyone.

And because,” he adds, with a deep, touching warmth in his voice, “I want you by my side. I need you.”

The tenderness of his gaze, the honesty in his voice, the sheer warmth. His words resonate deeply in my core, the words that I have craved all my life… I want you … I need you … now, at last, after I feel broken…

I can’t process it now. I can’t think. I close my eyes and shake my head. “I… I need to be alone.”

“Arien…” Hi s voice is a low plea.

“Darian,” I interrupt, my voice firmer than I feel. “You’ve said your piece. Now, I need time. I need to think. I won’t promise you anything right now. You’re intelligent enough to understand why.”

He searches my face with a reluctant understanding, then nods slowly and rises to his feet.

“Think about it, Arien. All of us in Izadmond. You would love the city. It’s full of history and hidden secrets.

We could do something meaningful. We could save Izadeon and the continent.

If the shadows finally emerge from behind the mountains, Izadeon might fall first, but the rest of the continent will follow.

Don’t you want to be a part of something extraordinary?

To stand with those brave enough to fight against evil?

Fight side by side with those who want to save the world? ”

His words are a blend of persuasion, appealing to my ambition and my desire for purpose and, subtly, to our connection with each other.

We stare at each other for a long moment. Then, with a final, lingering look, he turns and leaves. And the quiet click of the door closing behind him feels like a final, irrevocable separation from the world outside.