Chapter Title: “The Gathering Storm”
The forest around them seemed to breathe—alive with unseen eyes and whispers carried on the wind. Every step Zahra and Kael took felt like crossing into a deeper layer of an unseen world, where magic and memory intertwined.
They reached the edge of a clearing by dusk. In the center stood a circle of ancient stones, weathered by centuries yet pulsing faintly with the same energy that echoed from Zahra’s pendant. The sigil that had hovered over the silver pool now shimmered faintly in the air above the stones.
“They’re gathering,” Zahra said quietly.
Kael nodded, his gaze sharp. “We need allies.”
Before either could speak more, the sigil flared bright—then fractured into five shards of light, each shooting off in a different direction.
Zahra gasped.
