irae'

h knelt b

fear. Not i

recog

eyes. I had no idea what had just happened, only that someth

eir forms shifting in th

swords were still drawn, blood dripping fro

en Kae

, his grip on his sword so tight his kn

natural had

ilence pressing down on

are

I lacked the answer. I remained, after all

its head, its cracked lips par

lo

eath

h

horn

ould speak again. The creature let out a piercing shriek before

ell sh

flickering with rage. The moment of hesit

Kaelthor

me forward. The environment blurred around me as I was unexpectedly lifted ont

nt, we were

nced, slicing through the mist like a sharp instrument. Shadows shifted among the

my waist, securing me as the horse galloped forward with alarming ve

rees stretching taller, their shape

sudd

k in t

learing, and at the cente

ru

of an enormous tree. Its branches twisted upward toward the sky like bony fi

ithwood

the base of the ruin. The moment we cro

e mist, their ember eyes burnin

cou

ifferent. The air older. So

orse, then turned to me,

dn't

ow

he saddle. Although my legs quaked beneath

ust tra

ema

nswer. He only tur

s gaze-and my

n the broken arc

hood, they seemed to exist in a realm apart from this w

His grip was firm, and his breath was warm against my e

, compelling me to meet his eyes.

of the Wr

a slow grin curling his lip

ed forward, his posture tense, h

thered through the a

g me a cu

iffe

t flinch. "She

tly, and though I couldn't see their face,

h

ght

ry, rasping sound, like

, my fingers cur

ed, forcing my voice to stay

d their head.

n my lungs t

" Kaeltho

them bending like shadow. "You seek t

yes narrowed.

hand, their fingers curli

silenc

step ba

he First," they murmured. "A bloodline thought

y head. "

d." The Seer's voice turned s

hard, my pul

watching me.

ze to him. "You understand what

d. "It means the other p

owly. "Not just th

Kaelthorn's

between t

e mist curling aroun

forged the

lid down

assing. A name never spoken alo

Devo

who nev

arply to the Seer.

nt for a long mom

don