Chapter 87: Shattered Oaths."

Evelyn stood at the center of the battlefield, the weight of everything pressing down on her. The fires burned low now, smoke drifting into the night sky, the scent of blood and death thick in the air. Lucian stood beside her, his body battered and broken, but his eyes still sharp, still full of determination.

"We have to move," he said, his voice hoarse. "They won't stop hunting us."

Evelyn nodded, but something in her heart told her that this was the end of the road. She could feel it, the way fate had twisted its threads around them, pulling them toward an inescapable conclusion.

Then, the shadows shifted.

A figure emerged from the darkness, cloaked and faceless, yet radiating an unmistakable presence. The air around them crackled with unnatural energy, sending a shiver down Evelyn's spine. She tightened her grip on her blade, but Lucian raised a hand to stop her.

"This is it," he murmured.

The figure spoke, its voice echoing as if from another world. "Your fate was sealed the moment you defied the natural order. There is no place for you in this world any longer."

Evelyn clenched her teeth. "Then I’ll make my own place."

But before she could strike, Lucian stepped forward. His eyes met hers, and in that instant, she understood. He wasn’t going to let her fight this battle. He had already made his choice.

"Lucian—"

He smiled, the rare, genuine kind she had seen only a few times before. "Live, Evelyn. Even if it means leaving everything behind."

Then he moved. Faster than she could react, he lunged toward the figure, striking with all his remaining strength. There was a blinding flash of light, a surge of power that knocked Evelyn off her feet. The last thing she saw was Lucian standing against the darkness, holding it at bay—before he was swallowed whole.

Silence.

Evelyn gasped for breath, pushing herself up. The battlefield was empty now. No enemies. No Lucian. Only the lingering remnants of the energy he had unleashed.

She staggered forward, her heart pounding. "Lucian!"

No response.

The air around her shimmered, reality itself twisting. She could feel it—something was pulling her, an invisible force reaching from beyond this world. It was Lucian’s final gift, his last act to ensure she escaped. But it also meant there was no going back.

A single tear slipped down her cheek as she whispered, "Thank you."

Then, the world around her shattered,

The room smelled of blood and burning wood, the remnants of battle still crackling in the air. Evelyn stood frozen, her mind struggling to process the sight before her—Lucian, his body slumped against the cold marble floor, his breaths shallow, his eyes flickering between life and death.

“No…” she whispered, her voice breaking. She rushed to his side, hands trembling as she pressed against his wounds, but there was too much blood. Too much for even a vampire to heal from.

Lucian’s lips curled into a weak smirk. “Guess I finally did something right, huh?”

Evelyn shook her head violently. “No. You can’t—”

A cough wracked his body, dark blood spilling from his mouth. “You have to go, Evelyn. They’ll come for you. You can’t let this be the end.”

Tears streamed down her face. “Then come with me! I can—”

Lucian’s hand cupped her cheek, his touch burning, desperate. “This… was always my fate.” His eyes softened, a rare moment of peace settling over him. “Live, Evelyn. Even if it means living alone.”

Evelyn’s entire body trembled. She could hear the distant sound of approaching footsteps—more enemies, more death waiting in the shadows. But none of it mattered. Not when she was losing him.

Lucian’s hand slipped from her face, falling limp against the ground. His eyes, once so sharp, so full of fire, dulled. His chest rose one last time—then stilled.

Silence.

A deafening, soul-crushing silence.

Evelyn let out a sound—something between a sob and a scream. Something so raw, so agonizing, it could tear the universe apart.

But she didn’t have time to grieve.

The air around her shimmered, the forbidden magic she had stolen burning through her veins. The portal she had been warned never to use began to crack open, a swirling abyss leading to a universe unknown.

She glanced back at Lucian’s lifeless body, her chest caving in with the weight of her loss.

“I’ll never forget you,” she whispered.

And with one final breath, she stepped into the void—disappearing into another universe, leaving everything, everyone, behind.