The silence was as heavy as a stone wall.
Valdren stood still at the edge of the crater—unmoving, expressionless, not even breathing. It was as if time itself had recoiled from him, unwilling to proceed in his presence. The world hesitated.
Then, something shifted.
The air changed.
It thickened.
It choked.
All around him, from Forn to the last remaining follower standing on the fractured earth, hands instinctively rose to their throats… to their chests… None of them knew why.
Valdren took a step.
Just one.
And the earth trembled beneath it, as if refusing to bear his weight.
He walked forward, slowly, toward the broken body of Selene lying in the depth of the crater. Her form was still twitching with pain. Blood streamed from her mouth and ears. Her eyes remained closed, her breath shallow and uneven.
He raised a hand—not to touch her—but as his will surged forward, the air itself bent and hardened, wrapping her in a transparent cocoon of raw intent.
