I was on my knees, the crushing pressure of the Envoy’s presence feeling like the weight of the entire Atlantic Ocean pressing down on my shoulders. In the distance, I could hear the Reclaimed wolves screaming in the infirmary, their neural grafts reacting violently to the Envoy’s alien frequency. The world was spinning, turning into a blur of grey ash and violet light.
But then, the heavy oak doors to the Great Hall opened with a slow, deliberate creak.
Leo and Liam walked out into the courtyard. They didn’t look like five-year-old children anymore. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, their faces calm and ethereal, as if they were walking through a dream. They weren’t afraid. In fact, they looked at the Mercury Envoy as if they were looking at an old, tiresome teacher who ha
