The forest trembled beneath Aria’s feet.

Not from any storm or earthquake—but from the weight of something old waking beneath the roots. She could feel it in her bones, a rhythmic pulse that hummed in the air like the breath of a slumbering god. Her crown of thorns and moonlight shimmered faintly with each beat, as if responding to a call she hadn’t yet understood.

Caleb stood beside her, his hand gently laced in hers, his other resting over his heart. “It’s coming from beneath the ...