The valley was silent now, the stones dark, their runes extinguished, but the air still felt charged, like the Veil itself was holding its breath. The mark on my chest pulsed faintly, a lingering echo of her—my shadow, my twin—retreated but not gone. The dagger hung at my hip, its hum subdued but alive, a reminder of the power we’d barely contained. The bond with Lucian thrummed—his steady heartbeat, my restless resolve, our shared need to keep moving. We’d stopped her here, but the glimpses of that city beyond the Veil—its glowing spires, its watching figures—clawed at my mind, demanding answers.
Lucian stood beside me, his blade sheathed, blood crusted on his arm, his silver eyes scanning the valley for threats. “We can’t stay,” he said, his voice low, rough from the fight. “The pack ne
