Up on the surface, the world was screaming.
Silas Vane felt the moment Elara’s heart stopped. It wasn’t a guess; it was a physical rip in his soul. The bond they had started to form—that invisible thread of violet and shadow—snapped like a dry twig.
He collapsed to his knees, his hands digging into the dirt and ash. A sound left his throat that wasn't human. It was the sound of a god losing the only thing that made him want to stay alive.
"Elara..." he whispered. The name felt like broken glass in his mouth.
"She is gone," the Moon Goddess said from her chariot of light. She held the golden key up, watching as the glow inside the metal faded into a dull, dead grey. "The parasite has been purged. The world can finally be quiet again."
Fenris Thorne let out a jagged, pathetic laugh. He
