Kora’s POV
The world around us groaned as if something vast and ancient were breathing for the first time in millennia. The ground pulsed beneath my hands like the beat of a giant heart, slow but powerful enough to make my bones ache.
Seraphine’s words still echoed in my head—The first Fireborne never died.
That roar came again, closer this time. Deep, guttural, and filled with fury. The walls trembled, sending shards of black rock raining from above.
Edward pushed himself up, his shirt torn and streaked with soot. “We have to move. Now.”
I tried to stand, but the moment I did, fire surged up through my legs, crawling over my skin like living veins. It didn’t hurt—not anymore—but it felt aware.
Seraphine steadied herself on her staff, her face pale and drawn. “We’re standing inside i
