POV: Nixie
The earth didn’t break.
It opened.
Not violently, not like an explosion or a quake, but like a mouth opening when it hears a familiar name. A deep c***k formed beneath my feet, glowing faintly with that same silver light that had burned within me. The forest inhaled sharply. Branches shook as if preparing for a blow.
Lyall’s hand slipped from mine.
“Nixie!” he shouted.
I staggered backward, barely keeping my balance as the ground shifted again. The c***k widened, stopping just short of swallowing me whole. Its edges were smooth and deliberate, as if shaped by design.
The Echo pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
The sound that followed wasn’t a scream or a roar. It was a hum. Low. Ancient. Something familiar that tightened my throat and stung my eyes.
The man—one of them—let out a sl
