The night after the Sanctum's judgment felt heavier than any before it.
Aerin slept little. Though the Moon Crest no longer burned wildly, it remained alert watchful, as though something distant had shifted and could not be undone.
When dawn came, the air itself felt strained, stretched thin by unseen movement.
Nyxara noticed it too.
"We were not the only ones who felt that," she said as they descended from the mountain path. "The verdict echoed farther than you think."
They did not make it far before signs of pursuit appeared,broken branches, disturbed soil, tracks too deliberate to belong to beasts.
"These aren't Wardens," Nyxara murmured, kneeling to inspect the ground. "These are Veilbound."
Aerin stiffened. "Assassins?"
Nyxara nodded. "Moon-hunters trained to kill bearers before they awaken fully. If they've been sent, it means the king is afraid."
The road narrowed into a pass between stone walls.
Wind howled softly through it, carrying the faint scent of iron.
Then the shadows moved.
Three figures stepped from the rock face as if they had been part of it moments before.
Their armor was dark and unmarked, their faces hidden behind silver-veined masks. No words were spoken. No warnings given.
They struck.
Nyxara moved first, blades flashing as steel rang against steel. Aerin reacted instinctively, the Moon Crest flaring not violently, but with focused precision. Silver light shaped itself into a barrier, deflecting a strike meant for Aerin's throat.
The Veilbound adapted instantly.
One of them leapt high, blades spinning, forcing Aerin to shift focus.
The Crest responded, sending a controlled arc of energy that slammed the assassin into the stone wall.
But the second slipped through.
Pain exploded across Aerin's side as a blade grazed flesh.
The Crest pulsed sharply, furious but waiting.
Aerin remembered the Sanctum.
Control.
Drawing breath, Aerin shaped the power inward, then released it in a single precise strike.
Silver light wrapped around the assassin's weapon, shattering it mid-swing.
The remaining Veilbound retreated without hesitation, melting back into the rocks.
Silence returned but it was not relief that followed.
Nyxara wiped blood from her blade. "They tested you," she said grimly. "And now they know."
Aerin pressed a hand to the wound, the Crest already knitting flesh together.
"The shadows have started moving," Nyxara continued. "And they won't stop now."
Ahead, the road led toward kingdoms, cities, and war.
Behind them, the moon watched silent and unforgiving.