It had been two days since Lucian left the Starlight Castle. After dropping Garrett off at a secure inn within the streets of Trench Town, Lucian and Isabel pushed forward. They rode the carriage to the end of Trench Town, till they met a massive, overgrown tree line. They had finally arrived at the entrance to the Dead Valley. In front of them was a forest. The trees were very tall, their branches twisting together to block out the sunlight, creating a permanent twilight beneath the canopy. Lucian grabbed his backpack and hopped down from the carriage, his boots crunching against the dry dead leaves. Isabel stepped down right behind him, securing the straps of her own pack. 'I wonder where the actual seal is,' Lucian thought, scanning the dense tree line. He focused his essence into his eyes. [False Sight: Perceive]. The world changed in his vision. The ordinary forest suddenly bled with invisible currents of energy. Right at the edge of the first row of trees, he spotted t

Lucian lay in his tent. He waited for Isabel to go to bed. He waited for everywhere to be quiet. He listened to her breathing even out. When he was sure she was asleep, he rose.He removed his blindfold and let his silver eyes breathe. He picked up his long blue coat and pulled it on. Then he stepped out of his tent.The cold night breeze blew, but his coat warmed his body.He looked over at Isabel's tent. She was fast asleep. He could tell she was tired, but never once had she shown it. It had been a two-day journey through the forest. They hadn't slept well since they arrived.Lucian moved to the center of the clearing. He knelt down and dug a small hole with his palm. From his pocket, he pulled out a small leather bag. He reached inside and fetched several red glowing stones.He buried them in the hole and covered them with dirt. Through his False Sight, he watched an invisible dome rise over the clearing, sealing it from the outside."Monster-Dispelling Stones," he muttered, tuckin

Isabel woke from her tent. She came out to meet sunlight creeping through the tall trees. She took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh morning air. The forest was quiet. Peaceful. A few birds called softly in the distance. She let the calm settle over her before she turned to look at Lucian's tent. He hadn't come out yet. 'Master is still sleeping. I should cook something before he wakes up.'* She paused, glancing around the clearing. *'But I need wood.' She looked past the bushes and trees, searching for anything odd. Searching for any sign that it wasn't safe. Her eyes swept over the tree line slowly. Nothing moved except the leaves in the breeze. 'It's still early. Maybe the monsters are asleep.' She calmed herself with the thought. She picked up a basket that lay beside her tent. She strapped a short sword to her hip. It was a small blade, but Claire had taught her how to use it. She draped a black short cloak over her shoulders and pulled the hood over her head. She walked pa

Lucian and Isabel continued through the forest, navigating their way back to their tent.Lucian had started to feel fatigue crawl up on him. It hadn't taken its full toll on him yet, but he could feel it waiting. His legs were heavy.His eyelids scraped against his eyes with every blink. His shoulders ached from the Mountain King fight. He hadn't slept. He hadn't eaten. His body was starting to betray him.He had been pushing himself since the Starlight Castle. The Ordeal. The training with Claire. The journey to the Dead Valley. The Bone Singer pack. The Mountain King. Dae. He hadn't stopped. He hadn't rested. This collapse had been building for weeks.He was thinking about everything. His mission in the Dead Valley. Cassian Everstar.The Night-Suns he needed to find to get his memories back. The Everstar carriage he had seen outside the seal. The two cloaked impostors who had tried to kill him. And now Dae.There was a thread to all of them. A connection that linked them together.'

The clouds in the sky came together. The sky became darker. Little drops of rain fell from them. Lucian felt a drop hit him, then another. He swept his face. 'Rain. I guess the seal doesn't block out rain,' he wondered. Isabel stepped beside Lucian. "We need to find cover, Master." Lucian nodded. He moved his eyes through the forest. He activated his False Sight: Zoom trait. His vision traveled far, moving through the trees. He scanned the area until something caught his attention. A cave. "I found a cave to my left. It's not that far from here. Let's head there," he explained. Isabel moved with him. They traveled through the trees. The forest became windier. The air became cooler. The leaves on the trees rustled. Thunder crackled in the sky. The rain started to pour. Lucian and Isabel finally arrived at the clearing of the cave. Lucian's sight caught blood on the ground. Rectangular glasses lay in the dirt, smeared with red. He had seen them before. They looked familiar. "T