The silence after Valentine’s words did not fade.
It thickened.
The Primordial Will did not answer immediately. The darkness within the cracked lock expanded slowly, not spilling outward but unfolding inward, as if space itself was being rewritten to accommodate it. Symbols along the sanctuary walls trembled, their light flickering between recognition and resistance.
Eryx did not move. For the first time since Valentine had met him, his composure fractured. Not fear. Caution.
“You should not provoke it,” he said quietly. “It does not respond to challenge the way mortals do.”
Valentine did not look away from the darkness. “Then it should not have spoken to me like a judge.”
A low sound echoed from within the void. Not laughter. Approval.
“She learns quickly,” the voice said. “Faster
