Arius‘pov

The witches' sanctuary pulsed with ancient power. Even for someone like me—an Original, born of the old world and shaped by the cruelty of centuries—it felt... overwhelming. And that was rare.

We followed the witches deeper into the grove. Shadows danced with every step we took, responding to unspoken whispers of arcane energy. The trees weren’t just old; they were watching.

Morana led us to a circle of stones wrapped in creeping vines, beneath a canopy ...