ALPHA XAVIER POV

I had always been fascinated by the Moon Rock, a monolithic boulder situated on a barren hilltop overlooking the vast expanse of the Shadowlands. It was said to be a place of immense power, where the veil between the mortal world and the spirit world was at its thinnest.

The crisp air of the early morning nipped at my skin when I got to the stable, the weight of my mission heavy on my shoulders. I needed Valerian, his analytical mind a beacon in the fog of uncertainty that shrouded my path. "Wake Valerian and a few others," I instructed, "I need them with me." I needed...