The First Strike of Judgment
Ridge braced himself as the tendril of darkness hurtled toward him. The air itself seemed to solidify, bending unnaturally, like reality had become water and the presence was squeezing it through its impossibly massive fingers. Every nerve in his body screamed at him to flee, but he could not. He would not. The Heartfire surged through his veins, a burning pulse that tethered him to the world, to Aria, and to every life depending on him.
The tendril struck with the force of a collapsing star. Frost and fire exploded outward as the Heartfire flared violently, enveloping Ridge in a dome of radiant, crackling energy. He gritted his teeth as pressure compressed his chest, every bone threatening to splinter, every muscle straining. He could feel the presence’s awa
