As the threads of shadow and fire coiled beneath her skin, Alina's chest heaved, thrumming in time with her pulse. The faint distortion at the edge of the marketplace had grown sharper, more defined, and she could feel the Veil testing, preparing. The anticipation—half dread, half desire—made every nerve ending hum with curiosity.
Kael’s hand tightened over hers, shadows curling protectively around her waist and shoulders. “Now,” he murmured, dark intensity curling through his words. “It is no longer just curiosity. It is judgment. Watch carefully, Alina. Learn. Move.”
The distortion resolved into a figure, tall and sinewy, its form shimmering between solidity and shadow, eyes glowing faintly red. Threads of the Veil radiated from it, snaking across the cobblestones like living veins, pr
