*Kryzen*

The world seemed to hold its breath as the once bright sky twisted into a snarling mass of ominous clouds, a dark vortex centering above Briella's head. My heart hammered against my ribs as my gut clenched with sudden dread.

"Kryzen!" Her voice, usually so full of life and laughter, was a thin thread of sound against the growing roar of the tempest.

"Stay calm, Briella!" I shouted back, though my own panic threatened to choke me.

I surged forward, ...