Page 96 of Shadows of Change

Bob shakes his head emphatically while Finnick mimes zipping his lips.

"Mouse?" I manage, finding my voice at last. "How... why now?"

He leaps down from the desk, padding over to wind around my legs. "Because now you need to hear me. "Things are worse than you know, little one." Mouse's voice is grave. "That binding symbol you found? It's just the beginning. There are older, darker things than Mikhael Aldrich, and they're all watching you, Kaia. Waiting."

"Worse than our professor being an immortal death cultist?" Finn asks. "Because that feels pretty peak worse."

"There are older, darker things than Mikhael Aldrich," Mouse says, his voice low and almost reverent, like the weight of the knowledge itself presses on him. "And they're all watching you, Kaia. Waiting." The words seep into the air, heavy andinescapable, leaving a chill that makes my shadows tighten protectively around me.

"Right," Torric says after a long moment. "So the cat talks. And knows things. Great. Fantastic. I'm going to need a drink."

"Drinking is not the answer," Aspen reminds him automatically, still staring at Mouse.

"The cat. Is. TALKING."

"Mouse," Malrik says with forced calm, "what exactly are you?"

Those violet eyes meet his. "A guardian. A guide. A piece of the puzzle you're all trying to solve." He pauses, his gaze turning distant. "I’ve seen this cycle before, in shadows cast long before Kaia’s time. Those who reach too far always forget how far shadows stretch. It’s a lesson Aldrich will learn too late."

The cryptic weight of his words settles heavily over the room, leaving a chill that makes my shadows tighten protectively around me.

Finn opens his mouth, probably to ask more questions, but Mouse cuts him off.

"Time is short. Go. I'll explain more when you return."

"He's right," I say, though my head is spinning. "We need those answers."

"We're coming back," Finn says again, squeezing my hand. His eyes flick to Malrik, something heated in his gaze. "And then we're finishing that conversation too."

My shadows flutter despite the tension while Mouse radiates smug approval.

"Go," I manage. "Before I change my mind about letting you all play hero."

I glance at each of them—Finn, with his easy grin masking an unrelenting loyalty; Malrik, with his constant vigilance and quiet strength; Torric, burning with righteous anger; Aspen, always steady, his mind working ten steps ahead. My shadows weave around me, drawn to their resolve like moths to flame.

I might have dragged them into this, but I won’t let them fall for my mistakes. We’ll come through this together. We have to.

62. Kaia

The door closes behind them with a soft click that feels deafening in the sudden silence. I sink into Malrik's desk chair, my shadows coiling restlessly around my ankles, more agitated than I've ever seen them. Even Bob, usually so stoic, ripples with obvious tension.

"You could speak this whole time." The words scrape my throat. Mouse meets my gaze steadily, those familiar violet eyes now holding centuries of unspoken knowledge.

"Only when absolutely necessary," he says, voice deep and resonant in a way that makes my shadows stir. "Your mother's magic gave me form, but you gave me purpose. I was bound to guide you when the time was right—not before."

"My mother?" The word feels foreign on my tongue.

"Solveig."

The name hits like a physical blow. Linda wraps protectively around my shoulders while Patricia's frantic note-taking becomes almost desperate, as if trying to capture every detail of this moment. I grip the arms of the chair, seeking any anchor I can find.

"That's impossible. The Valkyries were ancient warriors. They vanished centuries ago."

Mouse's gaze never wavers. "Think deeper, Kaia. The dreams that wake you. The way shadows move as extensions of your will. The Heart of Eternity—why do you think it chose you?"

My hand flies to the necklace, its warmth pulsing against my palm like a second heartbeat. "If my mother was a Valkyrie... if I was there when they fell..." The implications crash over me in waves.

"Look at your shadows," Mouse says softly. "Really look at them."

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