The master suite, once a sanctuary of modern luxury, had become a battleground of ancient forces. The stagnant air hummed low, rattling glassware. Gray dawn struggled to penetrate, repelled by the murky radiance bleeding from Leela's chest.
Ginny leaned over to her best friend. Fear twisted her features as she pressed a cool cloth to Leela's burning brow. Her heart thundered—each beat a desperate protest against the unnatural chaos in the room. "He’s coming, Lee," she whispered, her voice quivering. "I feel the shift in your bond. Finnegan is coming home. Stay. Just stay with me."
Leela's eyes snapped open. Their sapphire warmth was gone, replaced by turbulent gray, echoing the "mud" that had overtaken her Elemental Stone. She gripped Ginny’s wrists with bruising strength beyond what lab
