Deep beneath the subway lines and steel foundations of the city, something shifted. Workers at a construction site unearthed a stone too old for civilization to recognize—its surface engraved with runes that pulsed with a crimson glow.
The foreman radioed for backup.
The backup never came.
By the time investigators arrived, the site had vanished into smoke, and a gaping fissure now ran through the foundation like a wound. From within, whispers echoed—promises in a language no one should understand.
Back at Monroe & Monroe, Elara stood in the executive suite watching the news broadcast in silence. Nathan entered without knocking.
"Tell me you're seeing this."
"I am."
"And?"
"That's not a sinkhole. That's a summoning well. And it means the second Herald is no longer dreaming."
He stepped beside her. "We need to tell people."
"We can't. Not yet."
He shook his head. "You're starting to sound like him."
Elara didn't flinch. "Maybe because he's the only one who's ever told me the whole truth."
She turned away from the screen. "I'm going down there."
"You're not serious."
"Bring the blade. And get me clearance from Vale Dynamics to reroute power in that zone. If it wakes, I don't want the city above it to be alive."