Verity's POV

Consciousness returned slowly, like surfacing from deep water.

My eyes fluttered open to dim torchlight and the familiar scent of damp stone mixed with something darker—blood, ash, and ancient magic. I lay on cold marble, but there were no chains binding my wrists. No guards looming over me with weapons drawn.

Just silence.

And then, a slow, deliberate clap echoed through the chamber.

I sat up slowly, brushing dust from my gown as my gaze swept across the room. The Darklands ...