The bronze coin blazed in Clek's hand.
He stood in the garden, the shard of black crystal cold against his skin, the power of the Keeper surging through his veins like a river of fire. It had been weeks since he had felt this—the warmth, the strength, the connection to something greater than himself. The power was returning, and with it, a sense of purpose he thought he had lost forever.
But the darkness was still there, pulsing at the edge of his awareness. The First Darkness was gone, shattered by his sacrifice. But something else was rising, something new and terrible. The power was returning, but so was the threat.
Aria's presence flickered in his mind, soft and warm. "Clek. You need to calm down. Your heart is racing."
"I can't calm down." His voice was flat, hard. "The power is b
