The name echoed through the empty streets like a ghost.
I turned to face Elena, my sister, standing in the shadows. Her face was pale, her eyes hollow. She looked like she hadn't slept in days.
"About what?" I asked.
She stepped closer. "About the echo. The one you created when you sealed the heart."
I felt the cold spread through my chest. "What echo?"
"Every action has a reaction. Every seal creates a leak. When you sealed the heart, you created a rift. A crack in the barrier between worlds."
"And what's coming through that crack?"
She was silent for a long moment. Then she said, "Everything you've been fighting to keep out."
---
I walked through the empty streets of Hellsmouth, my mind churning with Elena's words.
The echo. The rift. The darkness. Everything was connected.
"L
