The ruins hadn’t let me rest. Not even after the whispers faded. Not after the Moonlight dulled and the air settled again. I couldn’t stop thinking about what lay beneath them — the hollow, the roots, the voice that had called my name.
Talon didn’t ask much when I told him I needed to go back. He just nodded. There was no judgment in his eyes, only quiet understanding. He packed a torch and followed me into the forest.
The fog was thick that morning. The trees hung low and heavy with dew. The scent of damp earth and wild sage clung to the air. The forest felt older here, like it was holding its breath.
We found the ruins easily. They hadn’t changed, but the air around them had. Still, charged, faintly humming like the forest remembered me. Talon glanced around, frowning.
“This place fe
