The first sound was not a crack. It was a breath. A slow inhale from inside the stone. Like something ancient woke up for the first time in centuries and insisted the world notice.
The monolith pulsed once. The runes carved across its black surface glowed brighter, bright enough to paint the quarry walls silver. My mark responded with a sharp, stabbing heat that forced my hand open.
I took one step forward without meaning to.
Nathan’s arm snapped around my waist. His chest pressed to my back so tightly I could barely breathe.
“Margot. Do not move.”
“I am not trying to.” The words choked out of me. “It is pulling.”
The monolith pulsed again. This time it did crack.
A long fracture split down the center. Dust poured out like smoke. Then a faint glow spilled through the crack, white an
