Leah Carter’s Point of View
The echo of Varul’s laughter lingered long after the sound had faded.
It crawled over the walls of the Hollow, low and mocking, as if the night itself had joined him in his cruelty.
I stood beside Kael, staring out into the darkness where the sacred tower had fallen. Smoke still rose from the ruins, twisting into the blood-red sky. No one spoke. Even the wolves on the wall seemed afraid to breathe.
“He’s broken the first seal,” Kael said quietly. “The eastern barrier is gone.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, though I already knew.
He turned to me, his golden eyes dim under the torchlight. “It means the rest of the realm will follow if we can’t stop him.”
Behind us, the Hollow was in chaos. Warriors rushed to repair what they could. Children were herded in
