Selene’s POV
The battlefield was quiet.
Too quiet.
Ryker’s body lay motionless at the center of the ruined hall, a broken shadow among broken thrones. His Spiral tattoos were fading, the energy inside him finally still.
But the silence didn’t feel like peace.
It felt like breath being held.
A pause before the next scream.
Behind me, Kade approached slowly. Blood streaked his face. His left arm hung limp, but he was still standing.
“You did it,” he said softly.
“No,” I whispered. “Not yet.”
Because deep in the earth, the Spiral still pulsed.
Faint.
Watching.
Alive.
We burned Ryker’s body that night.
I lit the pyre myself, pressing a torch to the soaked wood while the last of his power bled from the air. His pack watched from the trees, some in grief, others in grim acceptance
