The island shook violently.
A massive crack split across the silver ground beneath the tree.
The lake churned.
The sky fractured.
And for one terrible moment—
panic spread through the forgotten.
Millions of souls looked around in confusion as their sanctuary began collapsing around them.
The Shore of Lost Things was dying.
The throne roared through the connection between realms.
Not in fear.
In understanding.
The abyss finally knew what the First Queen had been trying to solve.
The Shore had never been meant to last forever.
Just like the lock.
Just like the prison.
Just like every desperate solution created during a crisis.
It was temporary.
Only nobody survived long enough to finish the next step.
Until now.
Seraphine stood frozen beneath the cracking tree.
Terror fil
