Kai POV
The shrine chamber is silent except for the low, resonant hum of ancient magic, the silver veins in the walls pulsing like slow heartbeats. Torchlight flickers across the carved wolves and lunar phases, casting long shadows that seem to watch us. Liora steps forward toward the pedestal, her breath hitching audibly in the stillness. She reaches for the dagger, fingers trembling just slightly, and the runes flare bright—an angry, blinding gold.
A ward erupts without warning: a shockwave of pure silver energy ripples outward, crackling like lightning striking stone. The blast knocks her back, her body airborne for a heartbeat before I move. My arms wrap around her waist, catching her mid-fall and pulling her hard against my chest. Her wildflower scent floods me, warm and intoxicatin
