The morning light was dim as it filtered through the curtains, the weight of the last few days pressing down on me like an invisible hand. I was still trying to process everything—Luca’s unrelenting protection, the whispers of darkness that still lingered in Blackwood, the way my grandmother’s journal had revealed more than I was ready to face.
And now, Dr. Byrne.
Her presence in Blackwood had been like a spark to a smoldering fire, igniting questions and fears I hadn’t even realized I had. She wasn’t just a historian, not anymore. She was part of something larger, something ancient. And though her polished demeanor suggested calm and reason, I could see through it. She wanted something from me. Or, perhaps more accurately, she wanted something from us—Luca and me.
I sat in the kitchen,
