SHATTERED GROUND
The forest was unrecognizable. Trees lay twisted, shattered, and uprooted; the ground split open in jagged fissures, glowing faintly with residual darkness. Smoke and ash drifted lazily through the shattered canopy as Kael, Lyra, Nara, and Riven slowly rose, battered and bruised, energy still radiating from their bodies.
Kael’s wolf form shook violently, fur singed and claws bloodied. His amber eyes scanned the devastation, jaw tight. “It’s stronger… far stronger than we imagined. That first strike—it wasn’t a victory. It was a warning.”
Lyra struggled to stand, golden light flickering weakly around her. “The forest… it’s changed. The Primordial Shadow… it’s adapted already. Whatever we thought we knew, it’s learned, and it’s evolving.”
Nara coughed, silver fire sputte
