POV: SEBASTIANThe air still vibrated around me even after we’d cleared the last of the falling stones. My lungs burned, my chest still ached, and every nerve felt frayed, as if the shadow had touched more than my mind. Rowan’s hands were firm on my shoulders, grounding me, though his own tremor was barely noticeable. Ember and Cael flanked us, both scanning the ruins with sharp, wary eyes. Dust fell in lazy streams, settling on my hair and clothes, but I barely noticed.“You sure you’re okay?” Rowan asked again, voice low but edged with something I didn’t want to name. Concern, maybe fear.I tried to laugh. It came out as a strangled sound. “Define okay,” I muttered, dragging myself upright. My knees threatened to buckle.“You’re alive,” he said, and that should’ve been enough, but it wasn’t. Not really.The ruins groaned behind us. Stone shifted as if breathing, the faint embers of light pulsing along the cracked walls. The air smelled of smoke and iron, and somewhere deep, I could
Last Updated : 2025-12-29 Read more