The gods were stirring.
In the days that followed their return from the Veil, a strange unease settled over the fortress like a second skin. The winds shifted. The birds flew in jagged patterns, avoiding the mountains altogether. And at night, the stars no longer held their familiar glow—they flickered, dimmed, and occasionally disappeared altogether.
Selina noticed it first.
The way the shadows moved before the sun set. The way her reflection in the mirror hesitated before mimicking her. The way the air sometimes felt too still, like the world was holding its breath.
It wasn’t just paranoia.
Something was wrong.
Zane remained close. He trained harder than ever before, pushing his body to the brink. Not because he wanted to prove something—but because he needed to feel alive. The exp
