Chapter 51: The Whispering Cascades
The flight from the desecrated Shadowmoon caves was a brutal testament to Kieran’s desperate will. He moved like a shadow through the fractured, dampening air, Lyra a precious, agonizing weight in his arms. The pervasive essence-dampening field Elias had unleashed still clung to the mountain, making every step an immense effort. His senses, usually razor-sharp, were dulled, the familiar landscape blurring into a dangerous, disorienting maze. Each distant growl or rumble from the caves sent a fresh surge of primal fear through him, fearing Elias’s Apex Hybrids were closing in.
Lyra, barely conscious, was a constant source of pain through their fractured mate bond. He could feel the pervasive tendrils of corrupted essence battling within her, clinging to
