The world Kane woke up to was wrong.
Not shattered.
Not burning.
Not screaming.
Just… wrong.
The sky above him was pale, washed-out, like it had been scrubbed of color. The forest around the collapsed chasm lay eerily still no birds, no wind, no whisper of life. The ground was cold beneath his palms when he pushed himself up, every muscle screaming in protest.
“Aurelia…”
His voice sounded too loud in the silence.
He staggered to his feet, swaying. His ribs were still cracked. His shoulder burned. Dried blood streaked his arms and jaw. But none of it mattered.
The ground where she’d fallen was sealed.
Smooth. Unbroken. As if it had never opened at all.
“No,” Kane whispered hoarsely. “No no, no, no…”
He dropped to his knees, clawing at the earth with bare hands. Dirt scraped unde
