Chapter 3: Shadow Valley and the River

Derek found me soon after, furious. He grabbed me by the throat. “Jane, why did you mess with the Sevenfold Radiance Lily?”

His fingers dug in, and all I could taste was copper and fear. I gasped, memories of every argument and every broken promise crashing over me. Even in the underworld, he found a way to blame me.

His words sent me into a panic.

I knew how rare the Sevenfold Radiance Lily was, but I had no idea what he was talking about.

I couldn’t stand on my own, so I slumped against the wall, struggling in vain to break free from his grip.

My vision blurred at the edges. I tried to claw at his hands, but my strength was gone—had been for a long time. The tile was cold beneath me, the air thick with that sour, metallic scent of fear.

Finally, I stopped fighting, just waiting for his hands to tighten. If I died in the world, I’d just get sent back into the cycle and start over.

A part of me almost welcomed it—anything to end this pain, to hit reset on the heartache. Compared to the pain Derek had given me, I’d rather be reborn.

I waited quietly, until at last Derek let me go.

His fingers left angry red marks on my throat. For a moment, my throat was so tight I couldn’t speak. Part of me still wanted to believe he cared. The rest of me knew better.

“Derek, I never touched the Sevenfold Radiance Lily…”

My chest hurt, and I couldn’t help but choke up. “Even if I wanted to, look at me—do you really think I could even manage it in this busted-up body?”

I let my words hang in the air, hoping for a flicker of understanding. But as soon as I finished, Derek clenched his fist and punched the wall.

The sound echoed through the hall, making me flinch. He never did have much patience for things that didn’t go his way.

“So Lila was right—you really did want to destroy the Sevenfold Radiance Lily.”

My heart sank. Lila’s stories had always been more poison than truth, but Derek never seemed to see that. I was caught in a web I didn’t even know was there.

“Jane, I told you I’d find you another one. But Lila can’t wait—her arms and legs are rotting, and I can’t even give her my power.”

He sounded desperate, angry at the universe for handing him choices he didn’t want to make. “Why? Why have you become so cold?”

“You’re not my Jane at all.”

That cut deep. For a second, I couldn’t make sense of his words. I turned my head and looked out the window.

Through the cracked glass, light filtered in dusty rays. Lila was hiding by the door, watching us with a look of nasty satisfaction. She leaned in the doorway, lips curled in a smirk, enjoying every second.

She never missed a chance to twist the knife, and I saw now how much she enjoyed this chaos. Right then, I knew something was off—and sure enough…

Ignoring my pain, Derek dragged me up and flew me to Shadow Valley.

My legs barely worked, but Derek’s grip was iron. The mist stung my skin, cold as sleet, as he dragged me down winding corridors until the world outside faded into gray mist. The Valley’s entrance yawned like a mouth ready to swallow us whole.

“Jane, when you destroyed the Sevenfold Radiance Lily, you should’ve known there’d be a price.”

The valley’s poisonous mist wrapped around me, making my bones ache like hell. I trembled and asked, “What are you going to do, Derek… Do you even get it…”

My voice wavered, but the anger was still there, somewhere deep. “If you throw me into Shadow Valley, I’ll be wiped out. I’m just a clerk, with no magic to protect myself.”

Derek pulled me closer.

I thought that after all I’d said, he might go easy on me.

But all I got were the coldest words ever.

“Jane, I’m only using the mist in the valley to force out your magic, so I can make a new body for Lila. You won’t be destroyed—my power’s enough to keep you alive. But Lila’s different. She’s mortal now, and can’t take my power.”

His words rattled around in my head, senseless and cruel. “Jane, just deal with it.”

Deal with it.

How am I supposed to deal with this?

If that’s how it is…

I let go of all the strength in my body. As I lost control, I dragged Derek down with me, both of us falling into the valley.

The mist swallowed us whole, cold and thick. Amid the swirling mist, a bitter laugh slipped out before I could stop it. I hissed,

“Derek, if you want to make a new body for Lila, then go to hell and get it yourself.”

My voice sounded foreign, echoing off the valley walls. For the first time, I felt something like power—bittersweet and fleeting.

When I woke up again, I was back at the River of Forgetfulness.

The river’s surface rippled with memories—faces, voices, all just out of reach. The water was cool and endless, the smell of wet stone sharp in the air. I felt lighter, like I’d been washed clean, but the scars were still there, written deep in my bones.