KELLY THOMPSON'S POV

Eden wasted no time, his footsteps a whisper against the stone floor as he hastened to our sides. The room seemed to pulse with the silent beat of his determination, and I could feel the air grow denser, charged with the unity his presence commanded. A shiver ran down my spine, not from fear, but from the sudden infusion of strength that Eden's proximity brought.

"Mother, Father," he said, the words resonant with the depth of his young, yet ancient spirit. His hand found ...