<b>Chapter </b><b>161 </b>
*Jiselle<b>* </b>
The de still smoked.
<b>I </b>stood over the sentry’s body, the scent of seared flesh mingling with pine and blood and the bitter metal tang of war. His eyes were wide, frozen in <b>that </bst moment of disbelief, and the sigil on the hilt of the dagger buried in his chest gleamed faintly–charred gold, half–melted, but unmistakable.
The High Council’s mark.
The silence around the clearing was heavy, like the world itself was holding its breath.
I didn’t speak. Not yet. I let the wind pass over me, ruffling the edges of my tunic, whispering through the trees as if the leyline was waiting to see what I would do next.
Finally, I turned.
<b>“</b>Gather everyone,” I said to the scout who’d found the body. “Bastain’s tent. Ten minutes.”
He nodded, pale and shaking, and vanished into the woods like a shade.
Behind me, Nate came to stand at my side. He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. His presence was the only steady thing I could feel in that moment<b>–</b>the bond thrumming quiet and constant between us, like a tether pulled taut.
I didn’t look at him as I whispered, “It’s started.”
He didn’t ask what I meant.
Because he already knew.
Bastain’s tent had never felt so small.
Everyone was there–Ethan, standing rigid at the back with his arms,crossed tight across his chest; Eva<b>, </b>seated beside Bastain, her face pale and shining with sweat; Max, silent at the edge of the room, eyes fixed on the ground like he was trying to burn holes through it.
The de sat in the center of the war table, resting on a cloth Nate hadid down. No one touched it. No one dared.
“This is Council–forged,” Bastain confirmed, his voice low, almost reverent in its horror. “I’d recognize that sigil anywhere.”
“You think the Council’s attacking?” Ethan asked, his voice sharp with disbelief. “Why?”
“They’re not attacking,” Eva said, barely above a whisper. “They’re calling.”
Everyone turned to her.
<b>She </b>looked up slowly, her eyes ssy but clear. “It’s not a weapon. It’s a message. They want her.”
The tension in the room splintered all at once.
“They want me?” I repeated.
Eva nodded. “The Gate’s being pulled from more than one ce now. It’s <b>not </b>just Kael. It’s not just <b>the </b>ruins or the valley. It’s <b>being </b><b>summoned </b><b>from </b>inside the Academy.”
<b>A </b><b>beat </b>of silence.
<b>Chapter </b><b>161 </b>
<b>Then </b><b>she </b><b>added</b>, “The stones are humming. I can feel them. Whatever is happening–<b>It’s </b>already begun
The room erupted.
Ethan swore. Max started pacing. Bastain murmured something in anguage I didn’t recognize. Even Nate’s jaw clenched <b>tighter</b>.
“Retreat<b>,</b><b>” </b>someone said. “We regroup, we move further south.”
<b>“</b>No,” someone else snapped. “We strike. We go now, cut through the gorge-‘
<b>“</b>Enough,” I said.
No one heard me.
I raised my voice. “Enough!”
The room stilled.
I stepped forward and ced both hands on the table, eyes locked on the de.
“We don’t run from the ce that made us bleed,” I said. “We reim it.”
The silence was louder this time. Deeper. <b>It </b>sank into skin.
Bastain cleared his throat. “She’s right. If the Academy has be a vessel, retreating will only give it time to fully awaken. We <b>don’t </b>want that.”
Eva’s fingers trembled in herp. “It’s not fire,” she whispered. “Not yet. It’s steel. A de she knows.
A brother’s scream. A fall <b>too </b>fast-”
Her voice broke. Bastain reached over and ced a palm against her shoulder. “It’s anchoring again,” he said quietly. “She’s not seeing possibilities anymore. These visions are countdowns.”
My stomach turned.
The Gate wasn’ting.
It was here.
And it was using everything–us, the stones, the me, the blood–to push open its walls.
Max stepped forward.
“I’ll go ahead.”
Everyone turned to him.
“What?” I asked.
He didn’t flinch. “I’ll scout the Academy. Alone.”
“No,<b>” </b>Nate snapped.
Max didn’t look at him. His eyes were on me. “If someone inside is summoning the Gate, we need to know who. And fast. <b>You </b><b>can’t </b><b>walk </b>blind, not with your name already carved into stone.”
“You’ll die,” I said, voice t. Not cruel. Just honest.
<b>e </b><b>Academy </b>
“Maybe,” he said. “But if I die now<b>, </b>it’ll mean something. I’ll see who turned the ce I loved into a death trap–and <b>I’ll </b><b>stop </b><b>them </b><b>before </b><b>they </b><b>touch </b><b>you</b><b>. </b>
His voice didn’t tremble. It didn’t rise.
IA
It just was<b>. </b>
I looked at him for a long time.
There had been so much between us–pain, regret, history. And yet, in that moment, there was something else too.
Something heavier than forgiveness.
Something quieter than peace.
“Alright,” I said.
Nate looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
Max just nodded once.
And that was it.
That night, I found Nate sitting near the leyline. The water was glowing faintly with violet light, the current slower than usual–like even the river was holding its breath.
I sat beside him. He didn’t say anything.
Neither did I.
For a while, we just watched the light ripple through the reeds.
Then I spoke.
“It’s not just a bond anymore, is it?”
“No,” he said. “It’s not.”
“What is it?”
He turned to look at me, his expression unreadable.
“Purpose,” he said. “It feels like purpose.”
The words hit something deep inside me. Something I hadn’t been able to name.
“I’m scared,” I said.
“I know.”
“I’m scared it’s going to take more than I can give.”
He reached over andced his fingers through mine.
“Then we give it together.”
I looked at him, eyes burning. “If the Gate wants me to fall…”
He waited.
*I’ll make sure I fall like a star.”
AUD
Chapter <b>161 </b>
He <b>didn’t </b>smile.
He <b>just </b><b>nodded</b>.
<b>And </b>I <b>knew </b>he understood.
The next morning, a scout ran into the camp.
Mud streaked his boots. His chest was heaving.
<b>“</b>They’re not going to wait,” he gasped. “The Academy–it’s under siege.”
Everyone froze.
His eyes locked on <i>me</i><i>. </i>
“And they’re asking for you by name.”