The world had gone quiet. No wind. No birds. Not even the wolves dared to breathe.
Smoke drifted lazily through what was left of Crescent Vale. Trees lay split in half, roots torn from the earth. The mountain had cracked open like an egg, spilling veins of glowing blue light through the rubble.
And at the center of it all stood Jax, covered in dust and blood, staring at the place Sage had been.
Just moments ago, she’d shone like the heart of a star. Light so bright it had swallowed the sky. Now, there was nothing. Only the faint shimmer of power in the air, fading too fast.
He dropped to his knees, chest heaving. “Sage!” His voice echoed through the ruins. “Sage!”
Nothing answered. Not even the bond.
The absence hit harder than any wound. For the first time since meeting her, he coul
