The forest remained suspended in an eerie silence long after the Devourer vanished into the shadows. Kane stood in the middle of the clearing with her heart still pounding from the rush of power that had swept through her moments earlier. Her pulse began to slow, but the echo of her awakening remained, humming beneath her skin like a whisper that refused to fade. The ground felt warm under her feet, as if the earth itself had absorbed the remnants of her energy and now returned it to her in soft, steady waves..
Adrian watched her closely. His breathing was calm, but his eyes held the lingering storm of a man who had stood face to face with an ancient enemy and chosen not to back down. Kane turned toward him, drawn by the steady comfort he always seemed to offer even when the world felt ti
