The cave shook violently.
Stone crumbled from the ceiling, dust clouding Ivy’s vision as she stumbled backward. The c***k in the floor widened, glowing with a golden light that pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat. The hand that emerged was followed by an arm, then a face — eerily beautiful, otherworldly.
Eyes like burning suns opened, locking onto Ivy.
She couldn’t breathe.
She couldn’t move.
“Child of the Flame… you bear my mark.”
The voice wasn’t just in her ears — it was in her bones, her blood, her soul.
Kael burst into the chamber with Ember and Magnus behind him, weapons drawn — only to freeze as the glowing figure fully rose from the earth. The First Mother stood tall, her long silver hair cascading over golden armor that shimmered like liquid fire. Runes danced across her sk
