Neo

I'm assessing the aftermath, the smoldering ruins of what was once a sanctuary against the dark, when Alaric's voice slices through my thoughts like a silver blade. Panic laces his words in our mind link, a sensation that chills me to my core.

"Neo, Skyler's hurt...badly. We need you."

My heart hammers against my ribcage, a wild rhythm that drowns out the distant cries and the crackling fires. I don't even pause to think; my body knows what it must do before my mind ...