AMBER POV
The whispers slithered through the darkness, coiling and tightening, growing louder, more insistent. They seeped into my bones, into my mind, wrapping around my thoughts like invisible tendrils. The language was unnatural, *wrong*—each syllable a jagged edge scraping against my nerves.
I didn’t need to understand the words to know what they meant.
The ritual had begun.
Luka’s grip on my wrist tightened like iron as he dragged me and Vic through the narrow corridors. Our footsteps barely made a sound against the damp stone floor, but I swore the walls were listening. Shadows flickered and twisted in the torchlight, stretching into monstrous shapes—like something unseen was watching. *Waiting.*
*"Amber."*
Autumn’s voice poured into my mind, smooth as liquid gold, st
