Chapter 96 Chapter 96

Chapter 96 Chapter 96
_Leah’s POV_

The next morning arrived too quickly.

I knew it before I opened my eyes. I felt it in the air. It was heavy. It pressed against my chest like an invisible hand. The day had come.

It was time.

I lay still in bed for a few seconds, listening to the quiet rhythm of Kayden’s breathing beside me. His arm was still around my waist. His warmth wrapped around me like a shield.

Athena stirred softly inside me.

It begins today.

“I know,” I whispered in my mind.

My heart beat faster.

I shifted slowly and turned in his arms. His eyes opened almost at once. They were alert. He had not truly been sleeping deeply.

“It’s time,” he said quietly.

It was not a question.

“Yes.”

For a moment, neither of us moved. The silence felt fragile....like glass.

Then he brushed his hand over my cheek. His thumb rested just below my eye.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“No,” I admitted. “But I am determined.”

His gaze held mine. “That is enough.”

By midday, the seer had prepared everything.

The room chosen for the ritual was the oldest chamber in the pack house. It was wide and dim. The curtains were drawn closed. Only candles lit the space. Their flames flickered softly, casting golden shadows on the walls.

In the center of the room stood a large mirror.

It was taller than me. Its frame was carved from dark wood. Strange symbols curved along its edges. The glass surface looked too smooth and too still. It did not reflect the room clearly. It almost looked like water frozen in place.

In front of the mirror stood a single wooden chair.

My stomach tightened when I saw it.

Athena’s voice was calm. That is the doorway.

The seer stood beside the mirror. Her silver hair was braided down her back. In her hands, she held several small glass vials filled with colored liquids; blue, silver and deep violet.

Kayden’s fingers intertwined with mine. “Stay with me,” he murmured.

“I will.”

The seer stepped forward. “Leah,” she said gently. “Come closer.”

My legs felt heavier than usual as I walked toward her. Every step echoed in my mind.

“This mirror,” she began, placing her palm against its surface, “is not ordinary glass. It has been prepared for this ritual. It will act as a bridge. A thin veil between the living world and the astral realm.”

I swallowed.

“It is a doorway,” she continued. “But it will not open without guidance. It responds to intention, to magic and to the soul.”

I glanced at my reflection. It seemed faint and blurred.

“How will I pass through it?” I asked.

“You will not walk through it as you walk through a door,” she said. “Your body will remain here. It will remain seated on the chair and protected. Only your spirit will step beyond the veil.”

A chill ran through me.

“And the mirror will act as the portal?” Kayden asked.

“Yes,” the seer replied. “It will reflect more than flesh today. It will reflect truth.”

She uncorked one of the vials. The liquid inside shimmered silver.

“This is moon essence,” she explained. “Collected during the highest full moon. It strengthens the connection between realms.”

She began to pour the liquid slowly over the surface of the mirror. It slid down like liquid light. As it touched the glass, faint glowing lines appeared beneath it.

She began to chant softly. The words were ancient. They flowed like wind over stone. The air grew colder. The candles flickered harder.

Athena stirred. The veil grows thin.

The seer opened another vial. This one held deep blue liquid.

“This is star water,” she said. “It guides lost souls.”

She poured it over the mirror. The surface shimmered. For a brief second, I thought I saw something move inside it. There was a shadow; a flicker of distant light.

My heart jumped.

Kayden’s hand tightened around mine.

“It is reacting,” he whispered.

The seer nodded. “It recognizes her.”

She stepped back.

“Leah,” she said softly. “Sit.”

My throat felt dry.

Kayden leaned close and kissed my temple. “You can still step away,” he murmured.

“No,” I said quickly. “If I do not do this now, I will never be able to live in peace.”

His jaw tightened slightly. “I will be right here,” he promised.

I moved to the chair. It creaked softly as I sat down.

The mirror loomed in front of me.

The seer then reached for a small bowl filled with coarse white salt. She began to pour it slowly around the chair until she made a full circle. “This is a protective boundary. Nothing harmful can cross it.”

The salt sparkled faintly in the candlelight. Kayden watched carefully. The seer then handed him a small glass vial filled with pale golden liquid.

“And now,” she said, “the bond must be strengthened.”

She turned to me and handed me a matching vial.

“This drink is made from mate-root and heartleaf,” she explained. “It amplifies the connection between bonded souls....even across realms.”

Kayden’s eyes flicked to mine.

“You will not be alone,” the seer continued. “Even in the astral realm, the mate bond will remain like a thread. If you feel lost, you need only think of him.”

She looked at me with deep intensity. “Think of his voice. His scent. His touch. And the bond will guide you back.”

My chest tightened.

“And this ensures that?” I asked softly.

“Yes.”

She began to mutter spells again. Her voice grew stronger.

“Drink,” she commanded gently.

Kayden stepped closer to the salt circle but did not cross it.

He lifted his vial.

“For us,” he said quietly.

“For us,” I echoed.

We drank at the same time.

The liquid was warm. It tasted sweet at first. Then sharp. It spread through my chest like gentle fire.

I gasped softly.

Kayden’s eyes widened slightly.

“I feel it,” he whispered.

So did I.

The bond pulsed warmly between us. It was stronger and brighter.

Athena hummed inside me. It is anchored.

The seer nodded in approval. “It is done.”

Kayden stepped forward until he stood just at the edge of the salt circle. He reached out carefully and cupped my face.

“Look at me,” he said.

I did.

His eyes were steady.

“You will come back,” he said firmly.

“I will.”

“You will not drift away.”

“I won’t.”

“You will think of me.”

“I will think of you first.”

His expression softened. He leaned down and kissed me deeply. His hands cradled my face like something fragile and precious.

“I love you,” he whispered against my lips.

“I love you more than my fear,” I replied softly.

He rested his forehead against mine.

“Remember to come back to me safely,” he murmured. “Remember my love for you.”

“I will.”

He kissed my forehead gently one last time.

Then he stepped back.

The seer raised her hands again. This time she opened a small pouch filled with silver powder. She threw it lightly into the air around me.

It shimmered as it fell.

She began chanting louder now. The words vibrated through the room.

I felt my eyelids grow heavy.

“Close your eyes,” she instructed.

I obeyed.

“Take deep breaths.”

I inhaled slowly.

The air felt thicker.

“Do not resist,” she said.

The room felt distant already.

Athena’s voice grew softer.

Let go. I will remain with you.

The seer sprinkled more powder onto the salt circle. The candles flared higher.

My body felt lighter.

Kayden’s voice reached me faintly. “Come back safely.”

I felt as if I were floating upward. As if the chair beneath me no longer touched the ground.

My breathing slowed.

The seer’s voice echoed like it came from far away.

“Step beyond the veil, Leah.”

My heartbeat echoed in my ears.

Then even that sound faded.

Everything grew quiet.

And I felt myself drift.