Leah Carter’s Point of View
The sky was bleeding, not like rain or storm, but like the heavens themselves had been torn open. Red light spilled through the clouds in streaks, burning the treetops and setting the air aflame. The sound that followed wasn’t thunder, it was a scream, deep and endless, as if the realm itself was crying out in pain.
Emma clung to me, trembling, her small fingers dug into my cloak. Kael stood ahead of us, watching the horizon where the fire rose, his jaw tight, his eyes gold with fury and fear.
“The Outer Gate…” the Oracle whispered behind us, her voice weak but steady. “It’s no longer just open, it’s breaking the realm apart.”
Kael turned to her sharply. “How long before it reaches us?”
The Oracle didn’t look at him. Her gaze was fixed on the horizon. “It a
