And that night, amidst visions of ancient fire and memories that aren’t hers, Saeris understands the most terrifying truth:

Dairon is not just her guide.

He’s also part of a past that has been waiting for her.

Death doesn’t walk beside her. Death remembers her.

Fourth Part: Death Walks Beside Me

Days in Yvelia become a game of blades beneath the skin. Saeris, the outsider, is watched, despised, feared. But the most dangerous thing isn’t the eyes judging her… it’s the secrets she begins to uncover within herself. The gauntlet is no longer a foreign artifact. It’s a living extension of her will, and with it, she can manipulate metals, feel the heartbeat of stone, alter the shape of matter. Pure alchemy. Forbidden magic.

Dairon Kingfisher doesn’t let her forget her place. He is her protector, yes, but also her jailer. He trains her, challenges her, throws her into fights with creatures of ice and fire just to test her limits. —If you’re going to survive here, you must be more than human —he says with a chill that cloaks hidden storms.