Darkness poured from the sky.
It wasn’t just shadow—it was substance. Smoke that moved like water, thick with whispers. Screams echoed from beyond the tear in the Veil, shrill and hollow, as if they belonged to things too old for names.
Kael held Seren close, her body trembling in his arms, her lips parted but too weak to speak. Her blood had marked the altar stone. Her scream had opened the sky. And now… something ancient was stepping through.
He rose with her cradled against his chest, jaw clenched, muscles coiled with tension. The silver in his eyes flared. His wolf paced beneath his skin, furious and panicked.
“Wake up,” he murmured to her. “Seren, come on. Stay with me.”
A soft moan escaped her lips, but her gaze stayed unfocused. Her skin was clammy, glowing faintly with residua
