Three enforcers burst in from the south entrance, their weapons drawn, spells flaring. One hurled a binding chain of spirit steel. Another launched a concussion rune. The assassin dodged—fast, precise—but they were no longer alone.
The trap had turned.
They spun, vanishing into a whirl of shadow and smoke.
Gone.
“Sophia!”
Remi dropped beside her, catching her before she could fall again.
There was so much blood. Too much.
Sophia’s breath hitched, eyes fluttering as her head rolled back.
“No, no, stay with me,” Remi hissed, pressing a glowing rune to Sophia’s side. It slowed the bleeding but didn’t stop it.
Sophia blinked. Her lips trembled.
Then, she whispered one word, thick with pain and certainty:
“Maddy.”
Remi’s eyes went cold.
“You’re going to be okay. You hear me? You’re
