KAI
The mist clung to my skin like hungry ghosts, each tendril seeking entry through my pores. I pushed forward, pendant burning against my chest as if trying to melt through to my heart. The Valley of Forgotten Names lived up to its reputation—reality fractured here, splintering into parallel possibilities that manifested as physical terrain.
One moment I trudged through knee-deep ash, the next I scrambled over razor-sharp rock formations that sliced my palms. The sigils Patty had painted across my skin flared with each shift, anchoring me to my purpose when the mist tried to leach away my memories.
"Blood of the King," whispered voices from the fog. "Give us your name."
I kept my mouth shut. Grandmother Chen's warnings echoed in my mind—names had power here, especially when freely g
