The silence in the room was unbearable, a suffocating weight that pressed against every heart. Mae could still feel the ghost of the void’s presence, a lingering cold that gnawed at the edges of her mind. The others stood scattered around her, their expressions a mix of fear, disbelief, and rage, but it was Lucien who drew her gaze.He stood a few feet away, still as stone, his eyes locked on nothing. A single tear slipped down his cheek, catching in the low light before disappearing into the shadow that clung to him. It was not weakness that made him cry, Mae realized, but something deeper, something far older than any of them could comprehend.The air around them shifted, a tremor running through the floor, subtle yet unmistakable. The universe itself seemed to lean in, holding its breath. Mae’s pulse quickened. She felt the change before she could name it, an instinct screaming that nothing would ever be the same again.Riven’s wings twitched, feathers shivering as if they too sens
Mae woke with a sharp inhale, her chest rising unevenly as if her lungs had forgotten how to fill with air. The room seemed to pulse around her, a dizzying blur of faces and sounds as her eyes slowly focused. Her body felt heavy, distant, as though she were floating outside of herself. The chill of the room pressed against her skin, but something else, something dark and unfamiliar, lingered in the air.Around her, the men were in motion. Riven stepped forward first, his hand hovering uncertainly over her as if unsure whether to touch her or keep his distance. Kaine was still sitting beside her, his eyes wide, mouth open in shock as he watched her struggle to breathe. Ashar paced restlessly, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword as he muttered to himself. Sethis had his back to the group, kneeling by the door, still looking for a way out, though Mae could see the tension in his posture.But through it all, Lucien remained still. He didn’t move. He didn’t speak. He simply stared
Mae lay motionless on the bed, her skin damp and ghostly pale. Her breaths came shallow and quick, like her body was forgetting how to breathe altogether. Her arms trembled, useless at her sides, while the blood beneath her soaked through the sheets, hot and unrelenting. The room had fallen into a kind of hushed frenzy around her, controlled chaos laced with fear. Lucien knelt beside her, pressing into her abdomen with gloved hands, his jaw clenched, his focus surgical. “You’re okay,” he said, more to himself than to her. “Stay with me.”Kaine had both babies swaddled against his chest, rocking gently on the floor, his back against the wall. He looked overwhelmed but determined, cradling life as death tried to pull one of them under. Ashar moved like a storm across the room, grabbing towels, soaked linens, anything he could get his hands on. Riven hovered behind Lucien, tense, waiting, his hands clenched at his sides. Sethis had vanished moments ago, chasing down whatever supplies migh
The room was heavy with silence as the group regrouped. The tension from the battle still clung to the air, thick with uncertainty. The men had started formulating a plan for their next move, but Mae couldn’t focus on the details. The only thing on her mind was the weight of the moment that had almost been. She had felt it, the pull. Not just the force of her power, but the magnetic, undeniable connection between her and Lucien. The moments they had shared, the almost kiss, the heat that still simmered between them, it was more than just a fleeting desire. It was something darker, something deeper.As the others scattered to prepare, Ashar stepped toward Mae, his expression intense, unreadable. He didn’t speak at first, his gaze flicking to Lucien in the corner, then back to her. His jaw tightened as he closed the distance between them. “Mae,” his voice was low, his tone not quite harsh, but there was something underlying it, something unspoken. “We need to talk." Mae’s heart skipped
The room fell into an eerie silence. Mae’s energy still lingered, heavy in the air, but the Unseen had retreated. The dark shapes flickered, slowly fading. They hadn’t been defeated, but they had hesitated. Mae had never felt that before. The walls still shuddered, but the ground had settled, the tremors no longer shaking the room to its core. The air was thick with the weight of what had just happened.Lucien stood next to Mae. He moved first, gently lifting her to her feet as if she might collapse. Mae blinked, dazed, her knees buckling slightly from the residual energy. She could still feel the aftershocks, but they were different now, not as uncontrollable. Lucien’s voice was soft but firm. “You’re okay. You did well. Just breathe.”But Mae barely heard him. Her mind raced, trying to process the wave of power that had torn through her. She hadn’t known she could do that. She hadn’t known anyone could. “Mae,” Ashar’s voice broke through, rough with confusion. He stood in the corner,
The silence that followed was crushing. Smoke curled along the fractured walls. Dust hung heavy in the air. The ground beneath Mae’s feet was scorched and split like the aftermath of a localized earthquake. The room, once chaotic with battle, now stood eerily still. Mae stood in the center of it all, her arms slack at her sides, her breathing shallow but steady. Light still pulsed faintly from her skin, fading slowly like the embers of something that had burned too hot too fast.No one spoke.Ashar stared at her as if he no longer recognized her. Riven’s wings twitched once before falling still. Kaine wiped blood from his mouth and leaned back against the wall with wide eyes. Sethis’s hands hovered near his weapons, but even he didn’t move. They had seen power before. They had never seen that. Lucien was the first to approach. He moved slowly, carefully, as though stepping too quickly might startle her or wake something else. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were sharp, trac