Kael's massive frame tore through the depths of the forest like a storm. His claws shredded the snow-covered earth, branches snapping with each stride as he carved his path forward.
Centuries of loneliness and longing had become too heavy to bear. He couldn't lose Eva.
Not again, he growled inwardly. I won't lose her again.
The trees began to thin, and soon that familiar sound reached his ears, the roar of rushing water. He'd reached the waterfall. It had stood there for centuries, hidden and untouched, a secret known only to him and the Rose bloodline.
Without slowing, Kael leaped directly into the cascade. Behind the waterfall, concealed among the rocks, was the mouth of a vast cave. Dark, desolate, and filled with cursed memories.
He stopped at the cave's entrance. His breathing wa
