The storm erupted from the lattice.

Evelyn’s light flared, blue and bright against the black-red spiral of Victor’s domain. The ground beneath them wasn’t solid anymore—it flowed like liquid glass, forming waves that pulsed with every movement. Around them, the walls of the chamber bent inward, reshaping themselves to the rhythm of Victor’s will.

He towered in front of her, the last trace of his human shape melting away. The outline of a man flickered beneath the storm, but his core ...