Chapter 28

The wind howled like a living thing as Lily stood on the edge of the forest, looking down the cliffside that overlooked the valley of Shadowfen. The land below was wrapped in fog, dense and churning like smoke from a cauldron. No birds. No beasts. Only silence and that sick, heavy sensation in her gut.

This was the dead city.

The last known place the Eclipse Queen had walked before vanishing into legend.

Callum stood beside her, his jaw clenched. He’d been quieter than usual since the discovery in the vault. Maybe it was the pressure of protecting her. Maybe it was the reality of what she was becoming. Or maybe... he was afraid of losing her.

Avery came up behind them with two scouts.

“The fog’s thick,” he said, “but we tracked movement. The staff's energy leaves a trail. Victor’s inside.”

Lily stared at the ancient ruins scattered across the valley below. Crumbled towers, shattered arches, twisted spires...... All half-buried in the earth. A battlefield, long forgotten.

“I feel him,”