The Shadow War**
### **1. The Silent Watcher**
The fire burned low, its embers casting long shadows across the ruined shrine.
Mikey sat with his back against the ancient altar, his fingers tracing the grooves of weathered runes. The storm inside him hummed softly, a quiet, coiled presence—*sleeping, but not silent.*
Zelene paced nearby, Althea’s pendant clutched tight in her fist. **“We should move. If the witches know we’re here—”**
**“They won’t come back tonight.”** Mikey’s voice was calm, but his eyes never left the tree line. **“But *something* is out there.”**
Damian’s nostrils flared. **“Not human. Not wolf.”**
The Keeper, crouched beside the dying fire, tossed a handful of bone dust into the flames. The fire *hissed*, turning an eerie blue-green before sputteri
