The darkness in the mountains was absolute.
It had been weeks since Ava's passing, and Ethan had retreated into the depths of the Nexus, his consciousness withdrawing from the world. The grief was a physical weight, pressing down on him, threatening to consume him.
But the shadows did not wait for grief to pass.
The presence that had been awakened by Damian's sacrifice was growing stronger, feeding on the sorrow and despair that lingered in the world. It had been waiting for centuries, biding its time, and now it was ready to act.
Ethan felt it first as a tremor—a faint vibration in the balance, like a heartbeat struggling to find its rhythm. Then it grew, spreading outward, rippling through the light and dark that bound the world together.
"Who are you?" Ethan asked, his voice echoin
