Kael POV
The ruins of Shadow Ridge are a rogue’s wet dream and a nightmare rolled into one. Crumbling stone spires jutting from the fog like the bleached bones of some ancient beast, thorny vines snaking across them like veins pulsing with quiet malice. The air is thick with damp mist that clings to my skin like a second layer, carrying the earthy rot of moss and decaying leaves. The metallic zing of silver veins threading through the rock, a hum that sets Veyra, on edge, her growl a low constant rumble in my chest, hackles raised as if the land itself remembers every betrayal that brought it low. We’re pushing through this gauntlet on foot, our team a mismatched pack of loyalties and instincts: Kai leading with that alpha resolve, Liora beside him, her eyes sharp but haunted by ghosts on
