Max’s heart raced in his chest, still feeling the lingering heat from the burning pain in his eye. His mind whirled as Donovan’s words echoed: The prophecy is happening. He staggered backward, his hand hovering near his left eye, afraid to touch it, afraid of what this all meant.
“The insignia…” Max repeated quietly, his voice laced with disbelief. His breath came in ragged gasps as the weight of the moment pressed down on him. “How is this even possible?”
Donovan moved closer, his eyes filled with a rare vulnerability. “Max, this is what your father feared. The prophecy, the bond between you and Vera… it’s beginning.”
Max clenched his fists, trying to steady his breathing, but the ache behind his eye remained, a throbbing reminder of the power surging within him. His mind shot back to
