The mist twisted violently around them, yet it was no longer a simple veil of fog. Shapes lurked within it, shifting with unnatural grace, half seen and half imagined. Aria’s embers pulsed in response, golden tendrils stretching outward to probe the shadows. They recoiled, hissing, twisting as though offended by her light.
Kael’s grip on her hand tightened. “Stay close. These aren’t ordinary Veil guardians.”
“They never were,” Thane muttered, scanning the swirling forms. “Look at the way they move… it’s coordinated. They’re hunting, not testing.”
Aria’s pulse quickened. Her chest burned, not with fear, but anticipation. Every cell in her body screamed that this confrontation was unlike anything she had faced. The golden flames inside her shivered, responding to the predatory motion of t
