The forest was dying in real-time. Where Serena’s feet touched the earth, the vibrant green of the undergrowth curdled into a slick, obsidian rot. The black oil didn't just dissolve the physical world; it seemed to eat the very light around us, creating a pocket of shadow that even the moon struggled to penetrate.
"Serena?" I whispered, my hand flying to the locket at my throat.
She looked at me, her head tilting at an unnatural angle. The black substance leaking from her eyes began to trace the lines of her face, merging with the jagged tattoos that pulsed with a rhythmic, sickening heat.
"Serena is gone, Lyra," the voice rasped, layered with a hollow, metallic echo. "There is only the Vessel now. And the Vessel needs its Heart."
Ryker’s wolf let out a low, vibrating growl, his fur st
