The Hollow screamed.
Trees bent violently backward, roots tearing from the earth. Stone shattered beneath the weight of Aurelia’s power, white-gold energy cascading like molten light. The mist swirled into violent tornadoes, wrapping around the valley as though it were a living, screaming entity.
Aurelia hung suspended in the air, limbs trembling. The Moonborn power inside her roared, clawing at her from every vein, demanding release. Kane reached for her, but the pull of the First Sunborn, the counterpart the Bondborn had called her “original balance” , tugged at her like a chain forged in stars and bone.
“Ria!” Kane shouted, lunging through the light, golden fire erupting around him as he shifted mid-run. The sheer force of her power threw him backward, skidding across the mossy groun
