The calm of the morning was deceptive, a fragile veneer that masked the storm brewing beyond the forest. The cabin was quiet as Jon and Katrina prepared to leave, the remains of their breakfast cleared away and their few belongings packed. Ghost paced by the door, his ears flicking toward the sounds of the forest, while Dream prowled around Katrina's legs, her green eyes glinting in the dim light.

Katrina sat on the edge of the bed, her golden eyes distant as she adjusted the straps on her boots. Her body still ached from the fire she had unleashed, but it wasn't the physical pain that gnawed at her—it was the lingering feeling that something was still watching her, still waiting.

Jon knelt beside her, his dark eyes steady. "You're quiet."

"Just thinking," Katrina said, her voice soft but tense. "About him."

Jon didn't need to ask who she meant. "You destroyed the shadow," he said. "You saw it dissolve."

"I know what I saw," Katrina replied, her tone sharper now. "But I also know him. He's not that easy to kill."

Jon's jaw tightened, his hand resting on Longclaw. "What do you mean?"

Katrina sighed, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. "That shadow was just a piece of him—a fragment of the power he's tied to. I felt it when I burned it away. The rest of him… he's still out there, waiting."

"Waiting for what?" Jon asked, his voice low.

Katrina's gaze flicked to him, her golden eyes filled with both anger and fear. "For me. He's always been waiting for me."

Before Jon could respond, Ghost let out a low growl, his body tense as he stared at the door. Dream hissed, her back arching, and Katrina immediately grabbed her spear.

"What is it?" Jon asked, rising to his feet.

Ghost barked sharply, his eyes fixed on the forest beyond the cabin. Jon moved to the door, opening it slowly and stepping outside. The morning light filtered through the trees, but the air felt heavy, the silence unnatural.

Then he saw it—a dark shape moving through the trees, too distant to make out clearly but unmistakably humanoid. It lingered at the edge of the forest, its form shifting and flickering like a shadow caught between worlds.

Jon's grip on Longclaw tightened. "Katrina. Come here."

Katrina joined him at the door, her breath hitching as she saw the figure. "It's him."

"Are you sure?" Jon asked, his voice taut.

Katrina nodded, her fingers clenching around her spear. "I can feel it. That… pull. It's weaker, but it's still there."

The figure didn't move closer, but its presence was suffocating, a weight pressing down on the cabin. Jon could hear faint whispers, like wind through dead leaves, though he couldn't make out the words.

"We can't stay here," he said, turning to Katrina. "If he's watching us, we need to keep moving."

Katrina didn't argue. "He's not just watching, Snow. He's waiting for the right moment to strike."

Jon closed the door behind them as they gathered their things, the urgency in his movements matched by the tension in the air. The Wildlings they had traveled with were gone, scattered after the previous night's battle. It was just the two of them now, with Ghost and Dream as their only allies.

As they stepped out of the cabin, Katrina glanced back, her expression troubled. "I thought destroying that shadow would be the end of it."

Jon walked beside her, his voice steady. "It was a victory, Katrina. But it wasn't the end."

Katrina shook her head. "Then what was it? A delay? A distraction?"

Jon stopped, turning to face her. "It was proof that you can fight him. That you're stronger than he is."

Katrina met his gaze, her golden eyes searching his face for reassurance. "What if I'm not?"

"You are," Jon said firmly. "And you're not alone. Whatever comes next, we'll face it together."

Katrina nodded, though the doubt didn't leave her eyes. "I hope you're right, Snow."

As they moved deeper into the forest, the shadow at the edge of the trees vanished, but its presence lingered like a cold breath on the back of their necks. Katrina could still feel it—the faint pull of her father's power, the echo of his influence. He was out there, somewhere, and he wasn't done with her.

The journey ahead would not just be about survival. It would be a reckoning. And Katrina knew, deep down, that the next time she faced her father, it wouldn't be just a fragment of his power.

It would be all of it.

The forest seemed to grow darker the further they walked, the tall pines casting long, unnatural shadows despite the morning light. Every snap of a twig and rustle of leaves set Jon on edge, his hand never straying far from Longclaw. Katrina walked beside him, her spear clutched tightly, her face a mask of determination that barely hid the fear she carried.

They moved silently, Ghost scouting ahead while Dream stayed close to Katrina's feet, her green eyes darting nervously at every sound. The oppressive weight of her father's lingering presence was suffocating, and even the animals seemed uneasy.

Finally, Jon broke the silence. "We should find higher ground. If he's watching us, we need to see him coming."

Katrina nodded, though her voice was tense. "Higher ground won't stop him, Snow. He's not coming for us like a raider would. He'll wait until we're weak."

Jon stopped, turning to face her. "Then what do you suggest? We can't keep running forever."

Katrina looked away, her jaw tightening. "I don't know. I don't think there's a way to stop him without—"

She cut herself off, her gaze falling to the ground.

"Without what?" Jon pressed, stepping closer.

Katrina's golden eyes met his, filled with a mixture of anger and resignation. "Without me. That's what he wants, Jon. Me. As long as I'm alive, he'll keep hunting us. Hunting everyone around me."

Jon shook his head, his voice firm. "That's not an option."

"You don't get to decide that," Katrina snapped, her voice rising. "This isn't just about me, Jon. It's about everyone else he'll destroy trying to get to me."

"And giving yourself to him won't stop that," Jon countered. "It'll only make him stronger. You said it yourself—he wants the fire inside you. If you give it to him, he'll use it to destroy everything."

Katrina's hands tightened around her spear, her knuckles white. "Then what do we do? Tell me, Snow, because I'm out of ideas."

Jon stepped closer, his voice softening. "We fight. Together. You're not doing this alone, Katrina."

Katrina let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "You're so damn stubborn."

"So are you," Jon said, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

Before Katrina could respond, Ghost let out a sharp bark, his body tense as he stared into the trees. Dream hissed, her fur bristling, and Katrina immediately raised her spear.

"What is it?" Katrina asked, her voice low.

Jon scanned the forest, his dark eyes narrowing. The shadows seemed to shift unnaturally, moving against the breeze. A low, guttural growl echoed through the trees, followed by the sound of shuffling footsteps.

"They're here," Jon said, drawing Longclaw. "Wights."

Katrina's grip on her spear tightened as she took a defensive stance beside him. "How many?"

Jon didn't answer. The first wight emerged from the shadows—a grotesque figure with decayed flesh hanging from its bones. Behind it came more, their glowing eyes fixed on the pair.

"Too many," Jon said grimly. "We need to move."

But the wights didn't charge as they usually did. They stopped just beyond the tree line, forming a loose semicircle around them. Jon's heart pounded as he realized they were being corralled.

"They're herding us," Katrina said, her voice tight.

"Toward what?" Jon asked, though he already knew the answer.

As if in response, the air grew colder, and a low, resonant voice echoed through the forest. "Katrina."

The wights parted, and a figure stepped forward from the shadows. It was tall and humanoid, its form flickering like smoke. Its face was obscured, but its glowing eyes burned with familiar malice.

Katrina stiffened, her breath catching. "Father."

The shadow tilted its head, its voice carrying a mocking edge. "You've grown strong, my child. But not strong enough."

Jon stepped in front of Katrina, Longclaw gleaming in the faint light. "She's not yours."

The shadow laughed, a hollow, chilling sound. "Ah, the loyal crow. So protective. Tell me, Jon Snow, do you truly believe you can save her?"

"I know I can," Jon said, his voice steady.

The shadow's form shifted, its edges rippling like water. "You're nothing but a pawn in a game far greater than you. Step aside, and I may let you live."

"Not a chance," Jon growled.

The shadow turned its attention back to Katrina, ignoring Jon entirely. "The fire inside you burns brighter than ever. Join me, and together we will reshape this world."

Katrina's voice was sharp, filled with defiance. "I'd rather die."

The shadow's laughter echoed through the trees. "Oh, my dear child. Death would be a mercy compared to what I can do."

The wights began to close in, their movements slow but deliberate. Jon and Katrina stood back-to-back, their weapons raised as the circle tightened around them.

"We can't fight them all," Jon said, his voice low.

"Then we don't," Katrina replied, her voice firm. "We fight him."

Jon glanced at her, his dark eyes filled with determination. "Together."

"Always," Katrina said.

As the shadow stepped closer, the air crackled with tension. The battle ahead was inevitable, but this time, Katrina wasn't just fighting for herself. She was fighting for Jon, for the North, and for the chance to finally break free from her father's grasp.

The fire within her burned hotter than ever. And this time, she wouldn't hold back.