( Aria's POV )
Dawn crept over the Hollow like a reluctant confession.
The night’s storm had broken just before sunrise, leaving the forest wrapped in mist and silence. Trees still dripped from the downpour, the air sharp with the scent of wet pine and ash. The perimeter fires burned low, watched over by bleary-eyed wolves who had kept guard long after the creature disappeared into the treeline.
The longhouse stood scarred but still standing. A jagged hole gaped in the roof where lightning had split it open. Smoke trailed weakly from the blackened hearth. But inside, for the first time in hours, it was quiet.
Kael opened his eyes to pale gray light filtering through the cracked roof. His body ached in the familiar way it always did after a fight, ribs throbbing, blood crusted on his s
