The forest slept under a mantle of stars, the ruins of Hollow’s Crossing wrapped in silence. The old stone arches cast long shadows over the campfires that smoldered low, their embers glowing like the last heartbeat of dying suns.
Crystal sat at the edge of the clearing, away from the wolves and the uneasy mix of supernatural allies. The night was cool, silvered with moonlight, the air sharp with pine and the faint hum of magic lingering in the stones. She could feel the ley lines beneath her — faint, like a tremor beneath the world.
Her hand rested over the gentle swell of her belly. It still felt surreal, knowing a life was growing there. A life that pulsed with something she didn’t fully understand. Bree stirred within her, uneasy.
"Something watches from the dark", Bree whispered, l
