Darkness surged upward, cutting the hall in half like a falling curtain. Gustav staggered as the shadows clung to him, draining momentum, anchoring him in place. Luna followed instantly, chanting through clenched teeth.
"Glacies anima, thren val!"
Frost erupted from within Gustav's body, racing along veins and joints. He gasped sharply, breath frosting the air, knees buckling as ice spread toward his heart. For the first time, his composure cracked.
"Impressive," he admitted, voice strained. "Truly."
With a sharp twist of her staff, Luna shattered the spell.
Gustav collapsed to one knee, blade slipping from numb fingers. He did not try to rise again. Instead, he reached into his coat and withdrew a small sigil wrought from dark silver, etched with Rosemund's crest.
"You seek the baroness," he said quietly. "She lives. Weak, but alive. Lady Rosemund intends to keep it that way."
Luna snatched the sigil from his hand. "And you intend to stop me?"
