The cracks in the sky did not fade.
They widened.
One after another, long, jagged rifts split through the clouds above as if something enormous stirred beneath them. The air burned hotter than ever. The mountaintop groaned underfoot. Behind the broken seal, the boy stepped back. He didn't cry. He didn't scream. He waited.
Because he knew what came next.
Leon stepped forward. His sword lowered.
"Whatever you are," he said, "we're not here to break you."
The boy's eyes flicked to the seal behind him.
Elena stood close now. Her fire shimmered at her shoulders but stayed still.
"If we break it without knowing," she said, "we lose more than the war."
The boy's hands twitched. Gold thread cracked again.
"They already know," the boy whispered. "The ones above. The ones who kept the seals in place. They're not watching anymore. They're coming."
A thunderous pulse rocked the chamber.
