36-
Drakes POV
I’ve seen war. I’ve seen death. I’ve seen kings fall out of the sky and crawl away bleeding like dogs.
But I’ve never seen anything like this.
Caden’s on the ground, covered in blood and dirt, his chest heaving like a wolf still trying to outrun death. Baylee’s across from him, shoulders shaking, one hand pressed to her side, the other gripping the earth like she’s trying to hold onto the last thread of gravity.
They’re not even speaking.
But they’re still together.
Matt steps up beside me, arms crossed. I don’t look at him, but I know he’s seeing it too. The silence around us is louder than the howling from earlier.
No one’s talking.
No one dares.
I let out a breath, slow and quiet. “You feel it too?”
Matt nods once. “They didn’t just fight better. They broke the
