The earth did not simply c***k.
It parted.
Stone shattered outward as the massive hands dragged the rest of their body into the open air. Dust and debris swallowed the courtyard in a violent storm.
Warriors shielded their faces.
Rowan planted himself in front of Ivy on instinct.
When the dust cleared
Silence fell.
It stood taller than the castle towers.
A colossal figure made of condensed shadow and ancient crimson markings. Its shape was feminine. Regal. Crowned.
Its wings were vast and jagged.
Its eyes
Glowed the same deep red as Ivy’s.
A twisted mirror.
Gasps rippled across the courtyard.
Ivy stared upward at the towering entity that wore her likeness like armor.
“You imitate me,” she said calmly.
The entity’s lips curved into a smile that matched hers too closely.
“I p
