The silence in the solarium was deafening.
Samantha remained on her knees, hands buried in her lap, breath coming in broken gasps. Her eyes stung as she stared at the shattered window, where the ring had disappeared into the endless night. The vines around her slowly uncoiled, retreating as if ashamed to witness her defeat. The ritual circle had gone dark, its runes fading into nothing but chalky smears on the floor.
She had failed.
The magic—the blood—the risk. All of it for nothing. And now, Callum was lost again, deeper than before. The Overseer had won.
And yet… something felt off.
The air shimmered faintly. A vibration hummed through the floor, through her bones. A resonance she recognized but couldn't place. She sat straighter, trying to catch her breath, trying to—
A low whine pierced the silence.
