Killian’s POV

The door seals behind me with a sound that feels final.

Stone grinds against stone as the ancient locking mechanism engages, wards flaring briefly before sinking back into the walls. The underground chambers fall silent—no footsteps, no voices, no scent but my own and the cold, metallic tang of old magic.

I did this.

I chose this.

I brace my hands against the carved table at the center of the chamber and bow my head, breathing through my nose, counting heartbeats the way ...