The ground shook beneath Michael's feet at dawn.
He was standing on the walls of Ashenford, watching the sun rise over the mountains, when the first tremor hit. It wasn't an earthquake—it was something deeper, something that resonated in his bones. The Shadow Stones in the chamber beneath the community center pulsed with a dark light, their glow flickering like a dying flame.
Mira ran up the wall, her face pale. "The stones. They're reacting to something."
Michael followed her down to the chamber. The air was cold, thick with an energy that made his skin crawl. The seven Shadow Stones were glowing, their light pulsing in rhythm with the tremors.
"What's happening?" Michael asked.
Varen appeared in the entrance, his face ashen. "The Titan's defeat has created a void. Something is tryin
