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The stronghold slept uneasily.
Storm clouds bruised the sky, thunder rolling like the growl of an unseen predator. Torches burned along the walls, their light trembling in the wind. Wolves prowled the ramparts, ears twitching, eyes sharp. The Hollow Court’s shadows lingered in the forest, just out of reach, silent and patient as a blade waiting to fall.
Inside, Aria sat on the edge of her bed, her gloves discarded, her palms glowing faintly beneath the candlelight. The fire whispered against her skin, restless and alive. She had trained for weeks now, hidden in the cavern with Mira, growing stronger, steadier. Yet the secret weighed heavier each night.
Kael had grown colder.
The bond between them pulsed with suspicion, his emotions half-shielded but sharp when they cut through. He
