LILA’S POV
The forest still echoed with her laughter.
Even after she vanished.
Even after the shadows closed and the air stilled.
It was like her presence had carved itself into reality, leaving behind something twisted… something watching.
I couldn’t breathe.
My knees hit the ground harder than I felt, pain barely registering as I stared at the place where the earth had split open where my wolves had been swallowed whole.
Gone.
Just… gone.
“No…” My voice came out broken, barely a whisper. “No, no, no this isn’t happening…”
Golden light flickered violently around my hands, unstable, reacting to my panic. I crawled forward, ignoring Nathan calling my name, ignoring the way the ground still pulsed with dark energy.
“They’re still here,” I said, more to myself than anyone else. “Th
