The silence before the storm was suffocating. The illusion that cloaked them seemed to hold the air in a tense, fragile balance, keeping them hidden from the watchful eyes of the Council's soldiers stationed near the gates of Thornpeak. Sera could feel the weight of the moment bearing down on her as they crept closer, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the magic she had woven.
Her pulse thrummed in her ears, the power of the mark on her shoulder still vibrant and alive, but it felt different now. More focused. The energy hummed through her veins like a living thing, and she could feel the connection between her and Caelum, pulling them together like magnets.
He glanced back at her as they neared the fortified gates, his expression calm but sharp, the silver gleam in his eyes piercin
