Mag-log inHannah's POV There were bodies everywhere. Atreus' Sentinels and Wards had been torn to shreds. Blood stained the ground, broken weapons lay scattered across the yard, and smoke curled into the night sky. The few who remained were still fighting. Atreus was a force of nature. He moved through the yard with terrifying precision, ripping the head from one Daywalker before driving an ashwood stake straight through another's heart. Every movement was controlled, every strike lethal. His clothes were soaked with blood, but he never slowed. Every time someone tried to get past him, they died. Anton fought not far from him. His claws tore through Veil operatives as if they were made of paper. He shifted between human and wolf with frightening speed, knocking enemies aside to protect the Sentinels fighting around him. For a brief second, I caught sight of Kaia. She stood among the Veil. Her movements were graceful, almost effortless, as she fought beside them. Then our eyes met.
Hannah's POV I felt him before I even saw him. He was here. With Anton. I could smell him. Eric must have sensed something too because he turned toward the door. So did I. Atreus was already walking toward it when the door opened. Anton held up a hand. "Relax, guys. He's not gonna do anything." Devon. "Who the fuck did you bring here?" Eric snapped. "Don't tell me it's her." Anton frowned. "Her? Who?" Eric snarled, and a look passed between the two of them. A look I didn't understand. Devon stepped up behind Anton. "You do look like that son of a bitch. Close enough. Welcome back from the dead," Eric said as he started walking toward him. Anton stepped in front of him. "Hear what he has to say, Eric." Eric shoved Anton in the chest. "The fuck I will. Are you insane, bringing him here? We don't know him. His brother was a psycho freak who wanted my wife as his puppet." "I'm not the bad guy here," Devon interjected. "I just want to help keep Hannah safe." "Or I'll
Anton's POV Running had always been my escape. When I was angry, I ran. When I couldn't sleep, I ran. It usually worked. Not anymore. My feet pounded against the dirt trail. Every breath burned pleasantly in my lungs. Every stride should have been clearing my head. Instead, I kept seeing her. Gray eyes. Dark hair. I cursed under my breath and picked up my pace. "This is ridiculous," I muttered. I barely knew her. She fought for the enemy. She had spent her entire life serving the people trying to kill Hannah. So why couldn't I stop thinking about her? I vaulted over a fallen log without breaking stride. The familiar scent of pine and damp earth filled the air. Then... Something else. Rain. Smoke. Wild lavender. I stopped so abruptly my boots dug grooves into the trail. No. It couldn't be. The wind shifted again. I'd recognize it anywhere. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting instinct take over. She was close. Very close.
Third Person's POV The report reached Atreus just before dawn. The door swung open without ceremony. A Daywalker Scout stumbled inside. He dropped to one knee. "My lord..." Atreus was already standing. "What happened?" "The Eastern Sanctuary..." The Scout was hesitant to speak. "...has fallen." Silence swallowed the room. Eric slowly lowered the mug he'd been holding. Anton straightened from where he'd been leaning against the window. Hannah's heart sank. Atreus didn't react immediately. His face remained impossibly stoic. "When did communication cease?" "Just under an hour ago." "The Warden?" "No response." "The Sentinels?" The Scout lowered his eyes. "None." The Eastern Sanctuary wasn't simply another settlement. It was one of the oldest sanctuaries still standing. Retired Sentinels lived there. Young families. Historians. Children born into the Daywalker race. It had never been designed as a fortress. It had been built
Atreus' POV For a long moment, no one spoke. The chamber, so often filled with debate, had fallen into a silence so complete I could hear the flames crackling in the braziers lining the walls. My mother's memory lingered between us. A ghost invited into the room without permission. Lucien lowered his eyes. "She adapted to immortality better than anyone expected," he said quietly. "She loved our people. She learned our customs. She stood beside your father through every insult this Council threw at her." His voice carried no bitterness. Only sadness. "Many of us came to respect her." A few of the older Elders nodded. I remembered her, how beautiful she was, how kind.. A gentle voice singing. Warm hands brushing my hair back. The scent of lavender. Memories so old they barely felt like my own. Lucien's expression darkened. "And then she was murdered." The words settled over the chamber like ash. "No one discovered who was responsible," he continue
Atreus' POV The Council Chamber had witnessed wars, coronations, and executions. Today, it would witness something else. Twelve stone seats formed a circle beneath the vaulted ceiling, each carved with the crest of one of the original Daywalker bloodlines. Flames burned steadily in bronze braziers along the walls, their light reflecting off polished marble that had been walked upon by Elders for nearly two thousand years. My seat waited among them. I took it without a word. The conversation that had filled the chamber moments earlier died the instant I sat down. Every eye settled on me. Cassian remained standing at the center of the circle, his hands folded behind his back. "Elder Atreus." "Elder Cassian." His expression revealed nothing. "We appreciate your attendance." "I wasn't aware I had a choice." "You always have a choice." A faint smile tugged at my lips. "Then I chose correctly." No one returned the smile. Cassian slowly looked around the chamber. "The pur
Cora’s POV The dining hall had never felt so large. It was ridiculous, really. I had eaten here a hundred times before. Laughed here. Fought here. Thrown bread at Hannah here. Sat across from Eric while he pretended not to watch me like I was the only person in the room. But tonight it felt li
Cora's POV The sunlight barely pierced the horizon when I woke, my chest tight, pulse racing. My heart thudded erratically, as though it had been running for hours. Sweat clung to my hair, and I couldn’t shake the vivid fragments of the dream. I was small, barely more than a child, running thro
Cora's POV Crossing into Lincoln territory feels like stepping into a wound that never healed. The air changes first. It’s subtle, but my wolf feels it immediately, old scents layered with fresh blood, smoke clinging to the wind, fear soaked so deeply into the soil it hums beneath my feet. M
Cora's POV Happiness doesn’t arrive all at once. It doesn’t crash into you like pain does, loud and merciless. It settles instead, quiet, careful, almost shy. Like it’s afraid you’ll send it away if it makes too much noise. I wake up smiling before I realize I’m doing it. Sunlight spills t







