The night air was unusually still. The Ember Pack’s forest rarely went this quiet, not even the owls dared to make a sound. Maren had gone out to fetch herbs Rey needed for her nightly tonic, the one that helped suppress her power spikes. She was careful, as always, carrying a small lantern, humming softly to keep her nerves steady.

But then… the air changed.

A cold wave of energy brushed past her, thick and suffocating. The flame in her lantern flickered violently before dying, plunging her into complete darkness.

Her heart stilled.

Someone was here.

“M–My Lady?” she called weakly, turning in a full circle. “If this is a...