Scarlett's POV
Night was heavy, tight against the windows. It didn't come gently when sleep finally claimed me.
I found myself standing in the council hall. The domed ceilings arched overhead, engulfed in darkness. The air was hot, laden with speech—muffled, garbled, hollow voices, half-uttering things I could not quite understand. Each time I tried to concentrate, the voices melted away, leaving only the uncomfortable sense that they referred to me.
What the hell? A nightmare?
I tried to wake up when I saw a familiar face appear before me. His gaze was locked on mine.
Alexander.
He stood apart, but the space between us felt like a fault line.
"Alexander? What are you doing?" I tried to speak to him, but I couldn't even hear my own voice.
I tried to move, but I realized I couldn't.
