Chapter 40. The Vision

The sun crested the peaks, not with the promise of warmth, but with a harsh, metallic glare that made the shattered obsidian crater around Aria sparkle like malignant jewels. The cold light illuminated Kade’s desperation: the dagger planted in the ground, the desperate line of silver dust marking the boundary of the destruction, and the mottled, ruined skin of his right hand, which he still held tightly to his chest.

Exhaustion was a crushing weight, heavier than any physical blow. Kade had been awake for over thirty hours, the last four spent racing here on adrenaline and sheer terror. He needed to move, to call the council, to secure the area, but the thought of leaving Aria alone—even for a moment—sent a jolt of panic through him.

He looked at her, seeing her small, still form suspended within the shimmering silver and gold aura. The energy field was beautiful, mesmerizing, and utterly lethal.

“Aria,” he breathed, his voice hoarse. “If you can hear me, I need yo