The sky shattered.

Not all at once.

Piece by piece.

The crack in the moon deepened, spreading like veins through glass. Darkness poured from its core, unfurling in tendrils that stretched across the heavens.

The stars flickered.

The forest trembled.

The bond recoiled.

Something ancient had woken.

And it was looking at them.

Lyla’s breath came sharp and uneven.

The figure above them was massive taller than the Hollow King, darker than the void between stars. Its ...