The ruins of the Johnson family stronghold stood like broken teeth against the stormy sky. Ancient stone walls, once proud symbols of powerful Kai lineage, lay crumbled and overgrown with dark, vein-like vines that pulsed faintly with residual energy. Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating the gathered forces of the Nightwalkers and the massive army closing in from the east.
Matt stood at the center of the ritual circle they had hastily drawn using the seven Codex pages arranged in a perfect heptagram. The obsidian shards glowed with an inner crimson light, casting eerie shadows that danced independently of the lightning. His body thrummed with power at the edge of full awakening. Silver streaks now ran through his dark hair, mirroring Viviennie’s, and his skin had taken on a subtle, al
