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**Chapter 9 — Decision in the Dark**
Night had fallen completely outside the cave. Only faint moonlight came through the cracks in the ceiling, making long shadows on the walls.
Liora sat near the small pool of water, washing the last of the blood from her hands. The dead beast still lay in the corner, its body already starting to smell. She tried not to look at it.
Cairis stood at the cave entrance, staring out into the darkness. His shoulder wound had stopped bleeding, but he still looked tense and dangerous.
"We leave soon," he said without turning around. "The longer we stay in one place, the easier it is for the Church to track us."
Liora stood up slowly, her legs still tired. "Where exactly are we going? You said something about an Abyssal outpost. Is it far?"
Cairis finally turned to face her. His red-gold eyes glowed faintly in the low light. "Two days' walk if we move fast and avoid the main roads. It is a small outpost called Blackthorn Reach. Some of my old followers may still be there. If not, we will find information about what happened to my court."
Liora bit her lip. "What if your followers don't like me? I'm a witch. They might see me as an enemy."
Cairis walked closer, towering over her. "They will not like you. But they will obey me. As long as you stay quiet and do what I say, they will not touch you."
Liora looked up at him, fear clear in her eyes. "And if they do try to touch me?"
"Then I will kill them," Cairis said simply, his voice cold. "You carry my heart shard. That makes you my property until I decide otherwise. No one else touches what is mine."
Liora shivered at his words. "You keep calling me your property. It makes me feel like a thing, not a person. I'm scared of what that means."
Cairis stepped even closer, forcing her to tilt her head back. "You should be scared. You stole something precious from a demon prince. In my world, that means you pay with obedience. With loyalty. With your life if necessary."
Liora's hands trembled. She took a small step back. "I understand. I'll obey. I just… I miss my garden. My herbs. My quiet life. Everything is moving too fast and I feel lost."
Cairis watched her for a long moment. His expression stayed hard. "Your quiet life is over. Accept it. The sooner you do, the longer you will survive."
He turned and picked up the small bag of supplies Elder Thorne had given them. "We move now. Stay close. The forest at night is full of creatures that hunt anything weak."
They left the cave and stepped back into the dark forest. The red-leafed trees looked even stranger under moonlight. The air smelled of smoke and something metallic.
They walked in silence for almost an hour. Liora kept glancing behind her, afraid of knights or more beasts. Her feet hurt, but she did not complain.
After a while, she spoke softly. "Can I ask you something?"
Cairis did not slow down. "Speak."
"In the future I saw… you smiled at me before you died. You called me Liora instead of 'witch'. Were we… close in that vision?"
Cairis stopped walking so suddenly that Liora almost bumped into his back. He turned around slowly. His face was dark with anger.
"I told you not to speak of that future again," he said in a low, threatening voice. "That version of me is dead. The version standing in front of you now does not smile. He does not forgive easily. Remember that."
Liora nodded quickly, eyes wide with fear. "I'm sorry. I won't ask again. I just… I keep thinking about it. It felt real."
Cairis grabbed her chin with his clawed fingers, forcing her to look at him. "Stop thinking. Start surviving. The bond between us is already dangerous enough without you digging into things you do not understand."
He let go of her chin and continued walking.
Liora followed, rubbing her chin where his claws had pressed. Tears stung her eyes but she blinked them away.
They walked for another long stretch. The ground started to slope upward, making the walk harder.
Suddenly, Cairis stopped and pulled Liora behind a large rock. "Down. Quiet."
Liora crouched beside him, heart pounding. "What is it?"
"Knights," he whispered. "A small patrol. Six of them. They have hunting dogs."
Liora peeked out carefully. In the distance, she could see torchlight and hear the low barking of dogs. The golden glow of Celestial magic flickered on their armor.
"They're close," she whispered, voice shaking. "What if the dogs smell us?"
Cairis's voice was cold and calm. "Then we kill them. All of them. But I would rather avoid a fight right now. My strength is not fully back."
Liora's hands started to shake again. "I don't want to kill anyone else. Last night was already too much."
Cairis looked at her with hard eyes. "Then use your shadow magic to hide our scent and sound. Do it now. If you fail, their blood will be on your hands."
Liora took a deep breath and raised her trembling hands. She whispered the words for a shadow veil. Thin darkness spread around them, trying to cover their scent and footsteps.
The patrol came closer. The dogs barked louder, pulling at their leashes.
One knight called out, "The dogs smell something demonic! Search the area!"
Liora's magic flickered. She was scared it would break.
Cairis placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. His voice was low and threatening near her ear. "Hold it. If your magic fails, I will have to fight. And you will feel every wound I take."
Liora squeezed her eyes shut and pushed more power into the shadow veil. For a moment, the bond between them seemed to help — her shadows grew stronger and darker.
The knights passed within thirty feet of them but did not stop. The dogs whined and looked confused but kept moving.
When the patrol was finally gone, Liora let out a shaky breath and dropped her hands. The shadow veil disappeared.
Cairis removed his hand from her shoulder. "Not bad. You held it longer this time."
Liora looked up at him, still scared but a little relieved. "I thought they would find us. I was so afraid."
Cairis stood up. "Fear kept you focused. Use it. Now come. We need to put more distance between us and them before dawn."
They started walking again, moving faster now.
As they climbed the slope, Liora spoke quietly. "Thank you for not forcing a fight back there."
Cairis did not look at her. "Do not thank me yet. The real tests are coming. When we reach Blackthorn Reach, you will see what my world is really like. And you will understand why I am the way I am."
Liora stayed silent after that.
The forest grew darker and wilder with every step. She was tired, scared, and unsure about what tomorrow would bring.
But one thing was becoming clearer.
She was no longer just a witch who stole a demon's heart.
She was now part of his dangerous world — whether she was ready or not.
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