Page 128 of Dark Bonds

I look at all the containment units, then to Blackwood.

“Light shifters,” I whisper, looking down at my brother again, realization dawning on me. “They are all light shifters. They didn’t die, did they?”

Blackwood doesn’t answer me. Instead, one side of his lip tips up into a psychopathic smile—one I know will haunt my dreams alongside his daughter’s.

I take a deep breath, centering myself. The chaos of the room fades away, and it’s as if the beast and I are the only beings in existence. Then, to everyone’s shock, I turn my back on Blackwood and walk toward the eredar beast.

“Frankie, what are you doing?” Leo calls, his voice tight with fear.

I don’t answer, keeping my focus on the creature before me. With each step, I feel a connection forming, a bridge between our minds that transcends language. This creature is not just a beast to be controlled.

It’s a guardian, a keeper of balance between realms. Once, long ago, this beast may have been a shadow shifter.

I take a step toward the beast, my heart pounding so hard I’m sure everyone can hear it. It turns those glowing eyes on me, and for a second, I’m sure I’m about to be shadow beast chow. Something stirs within me, a recognition that goes beyond mere sight. It’s as if an ancient part of my soul is awakening, responding to a call I’ve always heard but never understood. Its gaze seems to pierce through me, seeing past flesh and bone to the very core of my being. I’m stripped bare, all my fears and hopes laid out for judgment.

“Hey there, big guy,” I say, trying to keep my voice from shaking. “I don’t suppose you’d believe we’re the good guys here?” The words come out of nowhere, like someone else is talking through me. “Blackwood wants to control you and use you to reshape reality. I’m asking for your help to stop him.”

The eredar beast regards me silently for a long moment, its gaze unfathomable. Then, to my amazement, it inclines its massive head in a nod. I feel a surge of... something. It’s not quite approval, but acknowledgment—a recognition of a shared purpose.

Blackwood’s enraged shout breaks the spell. “No! I won’t let you ruin everything!”

He lunges for the lever, shadows swirling around him like a dark tornado. Valerie stands frozen, her eyes darting between Blackwood and me. I see the war raging behind her eyes—years of manipulation and desperate need for approval battling against the truth she can no longer deny.

“Valerie,” I say softly, holding her gaze. “You don’t have to do this. You can choose to be better than him.”

Something breaks in her expression. With a cry that’s equal parts anguish and determination, she lunges at Blackwood before he can reach the lever, tackling him to the ground. They grapple, shadows lashing wildly around them.

“Frankie, go!” Valerie yells, struggling to hold Blackwood back. Her eyes meet mine, filled with a mixture of regret and fierce resolve. “Free your brother and the others! I’ll hold him off!” Her voice cracks. “It’s time I finally did something right.”

I hesitate for a split second, torn between helping Valerie and freeing the captives, then I spring into action. With the eredar beast providing cover, its massive form between us and Blackwood, I race to my brother’s containment unit.

My shadows make quick work of the lock, tendrils of darkness slithering into the mechanism and forcing it open. The shadowy fluid rushes out, and soon I’m cradling my twin’s unconscious form. His skin is cool to the touch, but I can feel a steady heartbeat beneath my fingers.

As I hold my brother, a surge of energy courses through me. It’s as if a missing piece of me has suddenly clicked into place. His eyelids flutter, and for a moment, I see a flash of irises that mirror my own, only filled with light instead of shadow.

As our eyes meet, I feel a jolt of recognition that goes beyond the physical. The shadows around us pulse and swirl, responding to our connection in ways I’d never seen before.

“Leo, Matteo!” I call out, my voice strained with urgency. “Can you break free?”

Leo grunts, his muscles straining against Valerie’s shadow bonds. “Working on it!” he growls, determination etched on his face.

Matteo, ever the strategist, has already managed to work one arm loose. “Almost there,” he pants, sweat beading on his brow.

I turn my attention to the other containment units, my heart racing. There are dozens of them, each holding a light shifter suspended in shadowy fluid. The enormity of Blackwood’s crimes hits me anew, and rage burns hot in my chest.

“Hold on,” I whisper to my unconscious brother, gently laying him down. “I’ll be right back.”

Leo and Matteo, freed from Valerie’s restraints, join me. Together, we begin releasing the other captives as chaos erupts around us. All the locks on the containment units shatter as Matteo rams into it. The air thrums with wild magic, reality seeming to warp and bend.

The eredar beast battles Blackwood’s shadow constructs, each clash sending shockwaves through the chamber. Valerie fights her father, their shadows intertwining in a deadly dance. The foundations of the lair shake, threatening to bring the whole structure down around us.

As the last captive is freed, I turn to face Blackwood. He’s on his knees, battered and defeated, but his eyes still burn with madness. Blood trickles from a cut on his forehead, mingling with the shadows that cling to him like a second skin.

“You don’t understand what you’ve done,” he spits, his voice raw and ragged. “The balance?—”

“Will be restored,” I finish for him, my voice ringing with certainty, “but not by you, and not by force. True balance comes from understanding, not control.”

The words feel right, as if they came from someplace deeper than my own mind. Was this the wisdom of the shadows, or something even more ancient?

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