VALERIE.
The first clash came just before dawn.
The ground quaked beneath our feet, and the air carried a scream that wasn’t human. The enemy moved like a black tide, surging across the valley with eyes that glowed and claws that split the earth. War had come—not as a storm, but as a curse. I led the charge from the front, my mates beside me. Jason blazed like wildfire, a sword in each hand. Jasper moved like shadow and steel, commanding shields and magic. Dorian’s wolf burst through enemy lines with the fury of a god. We fought as one. At first but then something cracked.
In the chaos, a rogue clawed at my shoulder. The wound was shallow, but it burned like acid. My magic stuttered. My vision spun. A scream rose from my throat, but I swallowed it down. “I’m fine!” I shouted. They didn’
