Scarlett’s POV

I feel the weight of the world pressing against my chest, but this time it doesn’t suffocate me. It fuels me. Every pulse of energy from the ancestral stones thrums in sync with my heartbeat, vibrating through my veins, my bones, and my very soul. The relic hums beneath the earth, calling, tethering, and demanding recognition. And I finally understand: I am not meant to kneel. I am not meant to rule. I am meant to bind.

I step forward, bare hands brushing the edges of the ...