**Chapter 6 — The Edge of the Ruins**
The sky was starting to turn gray with the first light of morning. Liora's body felt heavy. Every step hurt. Her wet clothes had dried stiff against her skin, and her feet were sore from running and walking all night.
Cairis still held her wrist as they moved. His grip was firm, not painful, but strong enough to remind her she had no choice.
"We are close," he said quietly. "The old border ruins should be just ahead. Keep your eyes open."
Liora looked around nervously. The trees were thinner here, and broken stone pillars could be seen between the branches. "What if someone is already there? What if the Church found it first?"
"Then we fight or we run," Cairis answered in a cold voice. "But you will not freeze like you did back there. I will not carry dead weight."
Liora swallowed hard. "I'm trying. Everything is happening so fast. Last night I was in my garden. Now I'm running from knights and demons and… whatever those wraiths are. I'm scared I'll make another mistake."
Cairis stopped and turned to face her. His tall frame blocked the weak morning light. His red-gold eyes looked down at her with sharp intensity.
"Mistakes are not allowed anymore," he said. "You chose to steal my heart. That choice took away your quiet life. Now you live in my world. In my world, fear is useful only if it makes you sharper. If it makes you weak, it will kill you."
Liora's voice came out small. "I don't know how to be sharp. I've spent years hiding from the Church so they wouldn't burn me. My coven taught me simple shadow spells for protection, not for fighting knights with holy fire."
Cairis let go of her wrist but stayed close. "Then learn quickly. The bond we share gives you access to Abyssal power. You felt it when you helped kill the wraith. Use it. Or the next time knights find us, I may not protect you."
They continued forward until the forest opened into a clearing filled with ancient ruins. Crumbled walls covered in vines, broken statues of forgotten gods, and a half-standing tower rose in the center. The place felt old and heavy with forgotten magic.
"This is it," Cairis said. "The border between the mortal realm and the cracks leading to the Abyssal lands. My kind used to hide here before the Church sealed most of the paths."
Liora looked around with wide eyes. "It feels… wrong. Like something is watching us."
"Because something probably is," Cairis replied. "Stay behind me."
They moved carefully between the stones. Cairis checked every corner while Liora followed close, her heart beating fast. The silence felt too heavy.
Suddenly, a weak voice called out from inside the tower.
"Who… who goes there?"
Liora jumped. Cairis tensed and pushed her behind a broken wall.
"Show yourself," Cairis ordered in a dangerous tone.
An old man stepped out slowly. He wore torn robes and had a long gray beard. His eyes looked tired but sharp. A faint glow of magic surrounded his hands.
"I am Elder Thorne," the man said. "I watch over these ruins. You carry demonic essence… and shadow magic. Are you hunted?"
Liora peeked out from behind Cairis. "Yes. The Church knights are after us. Please… we just need a place to rest for a few hours."
Elder Thorne studied them both. His gaze stopped on Cairis's horns and the dried blood on his clothes. "A demon prince and a shadow witch traveling together. That is rare. Dangerous. The last time I saw such a pair, the Church burned an entire village to find them."
Cairis stepped forward, his presence threatening. "We are not asking for charity, old man. We will use this place. If you try to betray us to the Church, I will tear your throat out before you can scream."
The elder raised his hands slowly. "I have no love for the Radiant Knights. They call my neutral magic 'heretical.' You may rest here… but I warn you. The cracks in this place sometimes whisper. Old things from the Abyss. Be careful what you listen to."
Liora looked at Cairis nervously. "Maybe we should find somewhere else. He could be lying."
Cairis ignored her and nodded at the elder. "We will stay until midday. No longer. If anyone comes, you will tell us first."
Elder Thorne bowed slightly and disappeared back into the tower.
Cairis turned to Liora. "Sit. Rest your weak legs. I will check the perimeter."
Liora sat down on a flat stone, exhausted. She watched Cairis move around the ruins like a predator. Even hurt, he moved with dangerous grace.
After a few minutes, she spoke softly. "He called you a demon prince. Are there many like you? In the Abyssal kingdoms?"
Cairis came back and leaned against a pillar near her. "There were. Before the Schism, the Abyssal Courts were strong. Now they are fractured. Princes fight each other for scraps of power. My brothers betrayed me because they feared I was becoming too strong."
Liora hugged her knees. "So you have no one either?"
"Do not compare your loneliness to mine," Cairis said sharply. "You had a quiet cottage and herbs. I had armies and then nothing. Because of people like your Church."
Liora looked down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm just scared. Everything I knew is gone. My garden, my home, my safe little life. Now I'm here with you… and you keep threatening to kill me."
Cairis walked over and stopped right in front of her. He crouched so they were almost eye level.
"I threaten because you need to understand," he said in a low, hard voice. "This is not a game. The Church will not stop. Other demons will sense the power you took from me. If any of them find us, they will try to take you. And they will not be as patient as I am."
Liora met his eyes, still scared but unable to look away. "What do you want me to do? I'm trying to listen. I'm trying to help. But every time you look at me like that, I feel like you want to hurt me."
Cairis's gaze darkened. "Maybe I do. You violated me. You took something that was never yours. But the bond makes killing you complicated. So for now, you stay alive. You fight when I tell you. You hide when I tell you. And you stop asking stupid questions about feelings."
He stood up again. "Rest. I will watch. If the elder tries anything, I will deal with him."
Liora lay down on the stone, using her cloak as a pillow. Her body was tired, but her mind would not quiet down. She kept thinking about the dead knight from last night, the wraith's scream, and the way Cairis looked at her — like she was both a burden and something he could not let go of.
As she closed her eyes, she heard Cairis speak one last time, his voice low and cold.
"Sleep while you can, little witch. When we leave this place, things will only get harder."
Liora shivered under her cloak.
She believed him.
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