Kael’s POV

The tunnel fell before I could reach her. The ground split and swallowed light. Three of them waited, still and deliberate, like the moment had been rehearsed.

The one with the scroll stepped forward. His words came calm, controlled, and certain. Mira asked who they were, but the answer meant little, an old name buried in forgotten histories. The Third Voice. The one with the blade moved slightly, watching every reaction. None of them attacked. They were measuring distance, ...