Chapter 11: Bound by Shadows

Elysia barely slept.

Her mind kept replaying the moment in Kael’s chambers—his touch, the way his voice had wavered, the unspoken war in his eyes. He was slipping, letting his walls crack just enough for her to see past them.

And yet, he still resisted.

She couldn’t let that stop her.

If she was going to break this curse, she needed to understand it.

At dawn, she left her room and made her way back to the library, hoping to find Ephraim again. But the moment she stepped inside, she knew she wasn’t alone.

Kael was there.

He stood near the massive windows, his silver hair gleaming in the morning light. Dressed in his usual dark robes, he looked like he belonged to the shadows themselves.

He didn’t turn to face her.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Elysia crossed her arms. “Neither should you.”

A low chuckle. “I live here.”

She took a cautious step forward. “I want to know more about the curse.”

Kael sighed, finally turning to look at her. His dark eyes were unreadable, but she could see the exhaustion behind them.

“What has Ephraim already told you?”

“That you’re doomed to lose everyone you care about.” She hesitated before adding, “That’s why you push me away.”

Something flickered in his gaze. “And yet you’re still here.”

“Yes.”

Kael let out a slow breath, as if weighing his words. Then, after a long pause, he spoke.

“The curse is older than I am. Older than this castle. It was cast by a god who despised my bloodline, and no matter how many generations pass, it remains.” His jaw clenched. “Every time I grow close to someone, fate takes them from me. My mother. My brother. Others before them.”

Elysia’s heart twisted. “You lost your family to this?”

Kael nodded, his expression unreadable. “I was barely more than a child when my mother fell to it. My father tried to fight it, but in the end, he was powerless.”

Elysia took another step closer. “And your brother?”

Kael’s hands tightened into fists. “He loved recklessly. He believed, as you do, that the curse could be broken. He was wrong.” His voice was quieter now, almost haunted. “I held him as he died.”

Elysia’s breath caught.

No wonder he kept himself locked away. No wonder he was so determined to keep her at a distance.

But she refused to accept that there was no way out.

“There has to be a way to break it,” she insisted. “Curses don’t last forever. There must be something—”

Kael’s dark gaze pinned her in place. “Do you think I haven’t searched? That I haven’t tried?” His voice was sharp, filled with frustration and something deeper—something vulnerable. “The gods do not bargain, Elysia. They do not undo their punishments.”

She didn’t flinch. “Then maybe they need to be forced.”

A beat of silence. Then Kael let out a low, humorless chuckle. “You truly are fearless, aren’t you?”

She lifted her chin. “I’m not fearless. I’m just not willing to accept fate so easily.”

Kael studied her for a long moment. Then, slowly, he took a step toward her.

“You think you can change this,” he murmured. “That you can change me.”

Elysia held her ground. “I don’t think you need to change, Kael. I think you need to believe.”

His expression flickered, something unreadable crossing his face. Then, before she could react, he reached out, his fingers grazing her cheek.

The touch was barely there, but it sent a shiver through her.

“I told you before,” he murmured. “You will be my weakness.”

Elysia swallowed hard. “Then let me be.”

For a moment, it seemed like he might give in. That he might close the distance between them.

But then—

He pulled away.

The coldness returned to his gaze as he turned toward the door. “You should go.”

Elysia clenched her fists. “Kael—”

“Go, Elysia.”

She hesitated, but she knew pushing him now wouldn’t work.

So she left.

But as she walked away, she vowed—

She would find a way to break this curse.

Even if it meant defying the gods themselves.

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