The world broke into noise. Not a battle cry. Not a roar. A frenzy. The instant the Gate’s decree thundered across the Frostlands—Lyra or Ronan—the silence shattered. Wolves lurched back from the fissure, voices rising in panic, disbelief, fury. “Heir to the dead?” “Impossible—he’s alive!” “The Warden must take the crown!” “No—no living sovereign can rule the Gate!” Arguments crashed like waves, clashing with claws, shouts, frantic movement. The air itself vibrated—fear had a sound, and it was everywhere. Lyra barely heard any of it. Her vision tunneled. All she could see was Ronan. He stood frozen, breath shallow, eyes locked on the skeletal crown rising from the fissure—its jagged edges rimmed with frost, its hollow points flickering with a pale, corpse-light glow. His pulse hammered visibly in his throat. His hand tightened on his sword hilt—only to loosen as tremors rippled up his arms. Cassian noticed first. “Ronan?” His voice cracked. “Hey—hey, breathe.” Ronan di
Last Updated : 2025-12-01 Read more