**Hayden’s POV**
The chanting grew louder, a low, humming rhythm that vibrated through the damp air and into my bones. I could barely breathe. Every note the witches chanted twisted the air around us, thickening it like a storm cloud about to burst. My heart hammered against my ribs, louder than the echoes of their voices.
Something was wrong—*so* wrong. The energy coming from them wasn’t just dark. It was evil in its purest form, ancient and untethered. It wasn’t just threatening me or Sareena. No. It felt like it could unravel everything. Humanity. Balance. Existence.
I clutched my stomach, nausea clawing up my throat. “How can I feel this?” I whispered. “I’m just a human… ?”
The witches moved like phantoms, their glowing white eyes fixed forward as they sliced their palms. One by on
