Leah Carter’s Point of View
The explosion swallowed the valley whole. Light and shadow collided, tearing the air apart. I couldn’t tell if I was falling or flying, only that Kael’s hand was still gripping mine, even as the ground shattered beneath us. Fire streaked across the sky, the mountain roared like a living beast, and the world turned inside out.
Then, silence, the light dimmed, and I found myself on my knees amid the ruins, snow turned black, trees burnt to bone. The scent of ash filled my lungs. The beast was gone, or maybe it had become the storm itself, its shadow still coiled around the clouds like a curse.
Kael staggered to his feet beside me, his face smeared with soot, his eyes blazing gold. “Leah...”
“I’m fine,” I breathed, though my voice shook. My ears were ringing, m
