( Aria's POV )
The Hollow was older than any of us.
Older than Kael’s pack. Older than the Circle.
It wasn’t a fortress in the way most imagined, no iron gates or stone walls, but the forest itself wrapped around the clearing like it had made a promise long before we were born. Towering trees formed a canopy so thick, the sunlight fell in thin, broken shafts, turning the air into a patchwork of shadow and gold.
The wolves slowed as we approached. Their shoulders dropped, their steps grew quieter. Even the forest seemed to hush, like it was holding its breath.
Lyra was the first to cross the ward line. I saw the shimmer ripple against her skin, a thin veil of magic, older than hers but not hostile. It recognized her. It let her through.
Kael stayed close to me, as he always did, a wal
