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Zar’Ryn inclined his head, his amethyst eyes locked on the Custodian. “You will find that neither of us breaks easily.”

The Custodian’s voice resonated once more, filling the chamber with its ominous decree. “Prepare yourselves. The final sacrifice awaits.”

Elara felt her heart drop at the Custodian’s words. The final sacrifice. The weight of it pressed against her, more suffocating than the pain still lingering in her body. She turned toward Zar’Ryn, his gaze steady and unyielding as it locked onto hers. The bond pulsed between them, amixture of strength and fear shared equally.

“You must choose wisely,” the Custodian said. “One final act is required. It must be deliberate. It must be true. Only then will the trial end.”

Elara’s breath caught as the implications settled over her. One final act. One final sacrifice. Her mind raced through possibilities, her chest tightening with each scenario she conjured. She glanced at Zar’Ryn. He had wanted freedom from the bond from the beginning. He had fought against it, resistedits intrusion into his disciplined life. If there was one thing she could give him, it wasthat.

Her gaze fell to the bracelet encircling her wrist, its glow faint but constant, areminder of the connection she had come to treasure. She touched it lightly, the cool metal a stark contrast to the warmth it had broughther.

Benson’s sneering face flashed in her mind. His ridicule, the way he had torn her down, made her feel insignificant, unworthy. She had let him take her power once, let him define her. But this was different. This was her choice. Her decision. And it would not be defined byfear.

“Elara, do not,” Zar’Ryn said, his voice sharp with alarm as he followed her gaze. “We can find another way.”

She met his eyes, tears threatening to spill but resolve hardening her voice. “This is the way, Zar’Ryn. You deserve to be free. You deserve to choose your path without this bond tying you down.”

“I do not want freedom from you,” he said, his voice steadfast and urgent. “Do not do this.”

Elara smiled faintly, sadness mingling with the affection she could not put into words. “This is not about what you want. This is about what you need. And I will give it to you.”

With trembling fingers, she grasped the bracelet. It pulsed under her touch, almost as though it resisted her. She closed her eyes, drawing strength from the bond one last time, and pulled. The bracelet released with a soft click, falling away from her wrist. Across the barrier, Zar’Ryn’s bracelet mirrored the action, clattering to the ground.

For a moment, the bond went silent. The stillness of it hit her like a physical blow, the absence leaving an ache so profoundshe staggered, dropping to her knees. Elara clutched her chest, gasping as if she could pull the bond back through sheer force of will. But it was gone. The vibrant hum, the warmth that had filled her even in the darkest moments, had vanished.

“No,” Zar’Ryn whispered, his voice raw and stricken. He dropped to his knees in front of her, his hand reaching out as if he could catch the bracelet that lay discarded on the ground. “No. Put it back. The bond… it is gone.”

“The bond is gone,” the Custodian said, its tone unyielding. “It cannot be restored. This was your choice.”

Elara swayed, her vision blurring as tears spilled unchecked. She turned to Zar’Ryn, her voice trembling. “You are free now. That is what matters. You can choose your own path, Zar’Ryn. You can be whole.”

He shook his head, the weight of her words crashing down on him. “Whole?” he repeated. “You think I wanted this? You think I wanted to lose you?”

She opened her mouth to respond, but the hollowness inside her was unbearable. She had thought this would bring peace, but all it brought was silence. Asilence that screamed louder than any words.

Moments stretched into eternity, the chamber growing colder, the absence of the bond a void between them. Elara’s hands trembling as they pressed against the platform. She closed her eyes, her breath hitching with every sob. Had she been wrong? Had her sacrifice meant nothing?

Then, faintly at first, awarmth began to stir in her chest. She froze, her breath catching as the warmth grew stronger, spreading outward until it suffused her entire being. It wasnot the bond as she had known it—this was something deeper, something eternal.

Across the chamber, Zar’Ryn stiffened. His hand rose to his heart, his eyes widening. “Elara,” he said, his voice low, shot through with wonder. “It is still there. Ican feel it.”

Elara lifted her head, her tear-streaked face turning toward him. “What?” she whispered. “How?”

Before either of them could comprehend, light began to etch across their wrists. The glowing patterns weaving intricate designs onto their skin, spiraling and looping until they formed permanent, iridescent marks. The bracelets were gone, but the bond had been reborn, stronger and unbreakable.

The Custodian observed silently, its form dimming as if satisfied. “You have made the correct sacrifice. The trial is complete.”

Zar’Ryn rose and crossed the space between them, his hand reaching out to brush against the new marking on Elara’s wrist. His touch felt warm, steady, grounding. “You are mine, Elara, and I am yours. This bond is forever.”

Elara let out a shaky breath, her lips curving into a soft, tearful smile. The ache in her chest eased, replaced by a radiant warmth that filled every corner of her being.

“Forever,” she echoed, her voice steady, her heart whole.

Chapter 22

ELARA TURNEDthe bracelet over in her hands, its metallic surface gleaming faintly under the soft glow of the ship’s cabin lights. It sat inert now, its once-unrelenting hum of energy silenced. But the weight of it lingered, as though it still tethered her to something larger, something vast and unknowable.

Her fingers traced the grooves in its surface, remembering the pulse of shared emotions it had carried, the way it had blurred the lines between her and Zar’Ryn.

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