The ruined hall trembled with dark magic, the circle of runes blazing red against the cracked stone floor. Cloaked figures stood in silence, their shadows stretching long and twisted in the firelight. At the center, Tallon stepped forward, her wand lowering as the curse coiled around her wrists and ankles like living chains. The mark of sacrifice flared across her skin, pulling her into the ritual’s grip. Behind her, Han and Lee Know stood still, their faces hidden beneath the flicker of the flames. She braced herself, the weight of their freedom giving her strength as the enchantment consumed her. For an instant, she thought she had saved them. But as her vision blurred, she caught the fleeting exchange between them—the steady calm of Lee Know’s gaze, the faint curl of Han’s lips. They didn’t fight to reach her. They didn’t move at all. The truth struck harder than the spell itself: this had been set in motion long before she stepped into the circle, and she was never meant to walk out of it.