Time had no hold in the Obsidian Sanctum.
There was no sun, no moon, no shifting light to guide the passage of hours. Only the soft pulse of living runes in the walls, their faint glow ebbing and rising like a heartbeat. Here, the world existed in a perpetual twilight—a place suspended between night and dream.
Samantha leaned against one of the black stone columns, watching as the others finished training. Their movements were slower now, driven by instinct more than fatigue. Bodies knew when to stop, even if the mind couldn't count the hours. Kai had sprawled on the ground, arms flung wide.
Kai flopped dramatically onto the ground. "I am officially dead. Bury me in wolfbane and whiskey."
"You're dramatic," Marcus smirked, lifting Nova to nuzzle her tiny cheek.
Kai groaned. "And yet alive. Barely."
