Natalie's POV
Cassia's words hung in the air like a noose waiting to tighten. The warehouse felt smaller suddenly. Colder. Like the walls were closing in and taking all the oxygen with them. I stared at her blind eyes and tried to understand what she had just said. Annihilation. The word kept echoing in my head.
"What is waking up?"
My voice came out sharper than I intended. "You cannot just say something like that and not explain. What is in the Great North?"
Cassia did not answer immediately. She looked old suddenly. Older than ancient. Older than time itself. The lines on her face seemed deeper. Her shoulders were more bowed. Like whatever she was about to tell us was a weight she had carried for too long.
"The first Sovereign did not die." Her voice was quiet. Almost a whisper. "
