Chapter 316. One Element Left

Aurora’s POV

The night was quieter than usual. The stars hung above the treetops like scattered lanterns, their soft glow casting long shadows across the damp forest floor as Caleb and I made our way to the old greenhouse at the edge of the estate. It had once been a place of life and bloom, but now it was Alice’s makeshift lab-dark, filled with the earthy smell of herbs and the sharp tang of metals and spell--bound runes. I could feel the tension buzzing in the air, thicker than the fog that was starting to crawl along the ground. My pulse quickened slightly as I opened the rusted door and saw Alice hunched over her workbench, candles flickering around her as she arranged vials and handwritten notes.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Caleb asked, his voice low, a little hesitant, even though he was trying to sound confident.

Alice didn’t look up at first. She was too focused, her gloved hands steady as she adjusted the angle of a large crystal orb to reflect moo