The moment the ancient spirit touched Kaelira’s forehead…
The world disappeared.
The ruined prison faded into darkness.
The voices around her vanished.
She was no longer twenty-one.
She was five.
Cold.
Terrified.
Alone.
The scent of smoke filled her lungs before she opened her eyes.
When she did…
Her home was burning.
The royal palace—the most magnificent place in the Lycan Realm—had become an inferno.
Golden banners were swallowed by flames.
Marble columns cracked beneath the heat.
Servants ran through the halls, crying as they searched for loved ones.
Outside, wolves howled.
Inside, soldiers screamed.
Kaelira stood frozen in the middle of the corridor, clutching the small silver doll her mother had given her that morning.
She didn’t understand why everyone looked so fr
