Page 141 of Lord of the Lone Wolf
Liros fell silent for a long moment, his violet eyes growing distant. “There is, but you won’t like it.”
“Tell me. Whatever it is, I’ll do it.”
“You must perform a soulrift,” Liros said. “It’s the only method to save him and defeat Nasume once and for all.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
Liros shifted in his chair, choosing his words carefully. “Maseo’s soul needs to be separated from the necromantic link.”
“How?”
“It must be severed from the Beyond Realm.”
The implication made Auslin’s stomach lurch. “You can’t be saying what I think you are.”
Rather than reassuring Auslin, Liros pivoted topics. “The most ancient magic that exists in the Living Realm embraced you when you stepped outside of time.”
“By going through Fate’s Gate.”
“Twice,” Liros added.
The auramancer couldn’t understand what Liros was trying to convey. “Right, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“You are the only one who can become the space between moments, the breath between heartbeats. Neither fully in one realm nor another. You must stand between what is and what cannot be, holding both as truth simultaneously.”
Auslin rubbed his temples, feeling a throbbing headache coming on. It was almost as frustrating as talking to Kizoshi. “I’m so lost.”
“Because that is how Maseo can be found.”
Auslin’s eyes pleaded with Liros. “Please help me make sense of this. I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me.”
“Maseo’s soul fractured when Ishibiya tried to steal it, and Nasume’s necromancy has been breaking off more pieces. To reclaim all those fragments and become whole again requires a soulforge.”
“Which is different from a soulrift?”
“Yes, a soulrift cuts the soul free.” Liros’s mouth pressed into a grim line. “A soulforge is the process Maseo must undergo to rebuild the fragments of his soul into one. It is the only way for him to survive.”
“And if he can’t do it?”
“Then his soul will remain fractured forever, and the necromancy will consume what’s left of him until there’s nothing.”
The weight of it all threatened to crush Auslin. “When?”
“After your next battle is won, this one will begin. Time is running out faster than you realize.”
Auslin’s mind raced, trying to piece together fragments of understanding. “Are you implying I have to defeat Nasume in the Beyond Realm?”
“You both do,” Liros corrected.
“Both?” Auslin repeated. “What about Kitsuki?”
Liros paused. “He is your way home, so he can’t cross over to the Beyond Realm with you.”
“Kitsuki has to watch us leave him to go through Fate’s Gate?” The guilt of what that would make Kitsuki feel gnawed at Auslin’s peace of mind.
“His mating bond with you is the tether that makes it possible for you to return home. If he crosses over with you both, your link to the Living Realm will be severed. You’d all be trapped in the Beyond Realm forever.”
Auslin frowned, sensing something was amiss. “Fate is never so straightforward. You’re making this sound too simple.” Skepticism laced his voice. “It can’t be as easy as Maseo and I walking through Fate’s Gate together and being taken to the right place. There’s more to it, isn’t there?”
