Mark did not attack.
That was the cruelest part.
He stood among the trees as if he belonged there, hands relaxed at his sides, eyes calmly fixed on Luna's burning wrist. The shadows bent toward him, obedient, reverent as though he were not a man, but a law the world itself obeyed.
My grip tightened on my blade.
"Step away from her," I said.
Mark smiled.
The same smile he wore when my mother begged him to stop.
"You always point that thing at me," he replied mildly. "One would think you haven't learned yet."
The mark on Luna's wrist flared violently. She cried out, collapsing against me as pain tore through her body. I caught her, dropping to one knee, pulling her close as the symbol twisted and spread like living veins.
"Stop it!" she screamed. "Please make it stop!"
Mark tilted his head, studying her like a puzzle finally solved.
"Fascinating," he murmured. "Even stronger than I expected."
Rage surged up my spine.
"You touch her again," I snarled, "and I swear"
"You swear what?" he interrupted softly. "That you'll kill me?" His eyes flicked to my blade. "You've tried."
The forest darkened.
The shadows thickened, coiling around Mark's feet like snakes. Luna's breathing grew erratic, her fingers clutching my shirt desperately.
"I can hear him," she whispered, terror flooding her voice. "In my head. He's… pulling."
I pressed my forehead to hers. "Look at me. Stay with me."
Her eyes locked onto mine.
For a moment, the mark dimmed.
Mark's smile vanished.
"Well now," he said quietly. "That's new."
I felt it then the connection between us tightening, stretching like a thread pulled too far. The curse beneath my skin responded, flaring painfully, as if recognizing something it had been denied.
"You shouldn't have gotten attached," Mark continued, voice sharp now. "Affection weakens the vessel."
"She is not a vessel," I growled. "She's not yours."
Mark took a step forward.
The ground cracked beneath his foot.
"She was always meant to be," he said. "Just like you."
The world exploded.
Shadows tore themselves free from the trees, forming jagged shapes that lunged at us from all sides. I shoved Luna behind me, raising my blade as the first creature struck.
Steel met darkness.
The impact sent a shock through my arm, numbing it to the bone. I pivoted, slashing through one shadow only for another to reform behind me. They didn't bleed like the others.
They screamed.
I fought desperately, blade flashing, curse roaring through my veins as I carved a path through them. Every strike burned. Every breath tasted of ash.
Behind me, Luna cried out.
I turned just in time to see a shadow wrap around her wrist, tightening, feeding directly from the mark. The symbol flared white-hot.
"No!" I roared.
I charged, hacking through the creature with reckless fury, ripping it apart with my bare hands when the blade wasn't fast enough. Black energy scorched my skin, but I didn't stop.
I couldn't.
Luna collapsed, gasping, the mark blazing brighter than ever.
Mark watched it all with interest.
"You see?" he said calmly. "The curse responds to proximity. To emotion. The closer you grow, the easier she is to claim."
I knelt beside her, lifting her into my arms. Her skin was burning. Her pulse was erratic.
"Why her?" I demanded. "Why now?"
Mark's gaze finally met mine fully.
"Because her bloodline unlocks what mine cannot," he said. "And because you were always meant to guard her."
The words struck like a blade to the chest.
"She is the key," Mark continued. "You are the lock. Together, you open the door."
Luna's fingers curled weakly into my sleeve.
"I don't want this," she whispered. "I don't want him."
Mark's expression softened mockingly.
"Want has never mattered."
I stood slowly, keeping her shielded behind me.
"You don't control her future," I said. "I won't let you."
Mark sighed, as though disappointed.
"You still think this is a battle you can win."
The shadows surged again then abruptly stilled.
Mark raised one hand.
Everything froze.
Even the forest seemed to hold its breath.
"I won't kill you," he said quietly. "Not yet. Watching you struggle is far more rewarding."
His eyes returned to Luna.
"But understand this," he added. "Every time you touch her, every time you comfort her, you bring her closer to me."
The mark pulsed in agreement.
"And when she finally breaks," Mark finished, "she will beg me to take her."
The shadows collapsed inward.
Mark vanished.
Silence crashed down around us.
I dropped to my knees, pulling Luna fully into my arms. She was shaking, tears streaking her face, breath coming in shallow sobs.
"I'm scared," she whispered.
I held her tighter than I ever had before.
"So am I," I admitted. "But I won't let him have you. Not while I'm breathing."
Her head rested against my chest. For a moment, the mark dimmed, reacting to the closeness, the warmth.
A terrible realization settled in my bones.
Mark was right.
Our bond was both her shield
And her greatest weakness.
I lifted my blade, staring into the dark forest ahead.
Then we would have to become something stronger than his curse.
Or die trying.