Chapter 165

Author POV

That was what frightened Selena most.

The air thickened—not with magic, not with force—but with certainty. The kind that does not need to announce itself. The kind that waits.

Selena took a step back without meaning to.

“You think this stops me?” she snapped. “You think standing there like some saint makes you stronger?”

Kaia didn’t answer immediately. She could feel the ancient attention now—old, impartial, vast. It wasn’t on her side.

It was ...