Kora’s POV
When I woke, I was lying on cold stone. My body ached, every muscle trembling, my skin damp with sweat. The world swam in and out of focus. Shadows flickered along the walls, dancing with the dim blue light of the runes etched into the temple floor.
For a long moment, I couldn’t remember where I was—or who I was. Then it all rushed back. The reflection. The voice. Aaron. The fire.
I sat up quickly, gasping, my hands pressed against the floor for balance. The runes pulsed beneath my palms, warm and alive.
“Kora.”
I turned. Edward was kneeling a few feet away, his expression carved from stone but his eyes filled with panic and relief. His hair was disheveled, his clothes torn, as if he’d been fighting—or trying to drag me out of something.
“You’re awake,” he said, voice roug
