ARIA’S POVThe air was thick with smoke and the lingering scent of blood. The night had been a storm, the rogues pushed back, but their presence still haunted the edges of the forest. I stood at the edge of the training yard, chest heaving, hair matted with sweat, hands trembling from the energy I had unleashed. My stomach still knotted in fear, though the danger had passed. I did not move. I could not move.The pull was still there, faint but insistent, tugging at the corners of my mind. It was a weight I could not shake, a voice that whispered in a language I almost recognized, urging me to step forward, to embrace it, to accept it. I tried to fight it, tried to tell myself that I was safe now, that the battle had ended, but the sensation only grew stronger, resonating in my chest and limbs.I did not notice Darius approach at first. He was silent, as always, his footsteps precise, measured. His eyes were sharp, scanning me, assessing the aftermath of the fight, and perhaps the afte
Last Updated : 2025-11-30 Read more