The light didn’t just blind—it devoured.

It poured into Celine’s eyes until her skull felt hollowed and the world was searing white. Her knees buckled, and Liam’s hand shot out, catching her wrist before she could fall to the floor.

The hum came next. At first, it was a vibration under her feet, like machinery hidden in the bones of the building. Then it rose in pitch, threading into her teeth, her ears, the back of her throat. The sound wasn’t deafening—it was steady. Too steady. A ...