Page 166 of Smoke, Mirrors, & Misdemeanours

“Cassia. Open the amulet.”

Her fingers found the tiny latch without looking. The clasp gave way with a soft click, and the amulet’s centre bloomed with light—golden and warm, strangely alive. It lit her face from below, casting shadows across her cheeks, catching the shimmer of tears she hadn’t realized were there. She felt the warmth of it against her palms, the faint hum of something ancient waking in her hands. She held her breath.

And then the entity moved.

It drifted forward, mist-like, its form trembling at the edges of shape. A silhouette, vaguely feminine, hovered just beyond certainty. Tendrils of light curled out from the figure, drifting through the air soundless and slow, and one by one they found the open heart of the amulet.

Cassia remained still, kneeling in the dim light, spine straight, watching as the entity poured itself into the golden vessel. The light deepened—warm amber melting into dusky gold. The threads of magic slipped inside with the ease of belonging, until only a few faint wisps remained—dancing in the air like smoke, ghostly hands caressing her shoulders, her cheeks, the base of her throat where the pendant still rested.

And then, even the last tendrils entered the amulet, and it closed with a soft click.

Silence.

Cassia lowered her hands slowly. The pendant still glowed faintly at her chest, warm against her skin like a second heartbeat. She exhaled, realizing only then that she’d been holding her breath.

Behind her, Ark groaned. She turned immediately.

He was trying to sit up, but the effort shook him. She moved to catch him, slipping her arms under his shoulders and guiding him back down before he could fall.

“I’m here,” she whispered, brushing his hair from his damp forehead. Her magic caressed his skin, offering steadiness, warmth—anything he needed. “It’s alright. It’s over.”

He blinked slowly, his eyes finding hers before sliding down to the pendant. “Is it all inside?” he asked, voice rough.

She followed his gaze, her fingers lightly touching the glowing charm now resting quiet above her heart.

“It’s with us now.”

The light inside the amulet pulsed once, as if nodding.

Ark slumped back to the cold floor, his breath still ragged. Cassia stayed close, her hands hovering uncertainly until one found his shoulder.

“Should we go to the hospital?” she asked, voice low but edged with worry.

He gave a faint shake of his head. “No. Just . . . let me lie here a minute. The darkness is helping.”

She nodded, sinking back onto her heels beside him. For a long, quiet moment, neither moved. Shadows wrapped around him in swathes, feeding slowly into his limbs. The dark basement, now emptied of all but dust and silence, would feel like a balm.

Ark’s fingers flexed, and this time he managed to sit up.

“You alright?” she asked, searching his face.

“I’m still alive,” he muttered. “Which, considering the circumstances, feels like a win.”

A soft laugh escaped her.

They dusted themselves off, standing carefully amid the silence—and then the sound came. A deep, echoing crack.

Cassia’s head snapped up. Ark stilled. Another crack followed. Then another—loud and sharp, like wood splintering.

“Was that⁠—?”

“The foundation,” Ark said grimly. “And the beams.”

The magic had held the building together for years, unknowingly reinforcing every brittle floorboard and rotting joint. Now, with the entity drawn into the amulet, Starlight’s true age was finally showing.

“We need to get out,” he said, his voice already stronger. He grabbed her hand and led the way.

Dust rained softly from the ceiling as they hurried through the main hallway. Every floorboard creaked louder now—no longer cushioned by enchantment, only old wood and the weight of years. When they reached the front doors and stepped out into the moonlight, the building behind them groaned.