"I’ve got you! Grab my shoulder!" Raka screamed, his fingers clawing into the fabric of Chloe’s damp jacket."Raka! I’m slipping! I can’t hold on!" Chloe shrieked, her legs dangling into the pitch-black abyss that had opened where the altar once stood."No, you’re not! Sofia, grab her other arm!" Raka grunted, his sneakers sliding on the tilting stone."I’ve got her! Pull!" Sofia yelled, lunging forward and locking her hands around Chloe’s wrist. "Leo, Marcus, stop staring and help us!""The whole place is going down!" Leo panicked, his voice cracking as he stumbled back. "The floor is literally dissolving!""Just pull, damn it!" Marcus roared, throwing his weight into the effort.With a collective heave, they dragged Chloe onto the solid, trembling edge of the platform. She collapsed, sobbing and hyperventilating, clutching her knees."Are you okay? Can you run?" Raka asked, his chest heaving as he stared at her."I... I think so," Chloe whimpered, her teeth chattering."Good, becaus

The scarred-jaw officer stared down at Raka, his lip curling in a slow, deliberate sneer. "Ready? You look like you're about to collapse on my boots, kid.""We walked all night," Sofia chimed in, her voice trembling as she wrapped her damp arms tightly around herself. She gave a weak, pathetic cough that sounded incredibly convincing. "We got chased by those massive wolves, we fell into a river, and we lost almost all our gear. Please tell me there’s actual food inside."The officer didn't look sympathetic. He turned to his men, his voice sharp. "Search them. Every single one.""Wait, search us for what?" Raka demanded, stepping in front of Chloe, who was shivering so hard her teeth were clicking. "Mud? We don't have anything left. Go look at the bottom of the riverbed if you want our packs.""The King’s orders were absolute," the officer said, stepping into Raka's personal space. "Clear the ridge. Retrieve the Heart-Crystal. Where is it, Commander?""We didn't get it," Raka said flat

The stone floor beneath Raka’s feet groaned as another distant explosion rattled the stained-glass windows of the King's study. Dust drifted down from the vaulted ceiling, catching the purple glow of the flickering braziers."Your Majesty, we have to withdraw to the inner keep!" Lord Vane shouted, his hand gripping his sword hilt so tightly his knuckles turned white. "The eastern ward is completely down! If the plague-walkers bypass the lower districts, they’ll be at the palace gates in minutes!""No," King Alaric said, his voice flat, dangerously calm as he stared out the tall arched window. "We do not retreat from rabble. Vane, deploy the third and fourth regiments to the breach. Seal the inner gates.""And what about us?" Raka demanded, stepping forward, his wet sneakers squeaking loudly against the polished stone. "My classmates are still down in the barracks! They’re exhausted, they’re starving, and they don't even have their proper gear!"Vane sneered, turning his glaring eyes t

The damp chill of the palace’s lower archives clung to the back of Raka’s throat, a familiar, dusty weight that felt like a physical extension of the nightmare they were living. He leaned over the massive, scarred mahogany table, his eyes straining under the dim, flickering light of a single tallow candle."We don't have much time, Sofia," Raka whispered, his voice hushed but urgent. "The guards are still distracted by the cleanup at the eastern gate, but they'll notice we're missing from the barracks soon."Sofia didn't look up from her notes. Her quill scratched furiously against a scrap of stolen parchment, her movements sharp and precise. "I'm almost there. Just give me a second, Raka. This translation... it’s completely messed up.""What do you mean, messed up?" Raka asked, resting his hands on the edge of the table. "Is it about Kevin?""It's about the energy he was using," Sofia said, finally looking up. Her eyes were wide, heavily shadowed by exhaustion. "He called it the void

"Ready?" Raka asked, positioning his hands under the splintered oak beam. "On three, Sofia. Don't let it slip.""I've got the leverage," Sofia said, her muscles tensing as she wedged her foot against a fallen ledger box. "Just lift. One, two, three—"They both grunted as the heavy wood groaned and shifted upward, the rusted iron of the pulley crane scraping against the stone floor."Elara, pull your leg out! Fast!" Raka yelled, his face turning red from the strain.Elara gasped, dragging herself backward over the dusty marble. "I'm clear! I'm clear! Drop it!"They let the heavy beam crash back down, sending a cloud of musty parchment dust into the freezing air. The sound echoed hollowly through the dark archives."Are you okay?" Raka panted, kneeling next to her. "Can you walk?""I think so," Elara whispered, clutching her bruised ankle. "It’s just... it’s throbbing. I’m sorry, Raka. I’m so sorry.""Save your breath," Sofia said, her eyes scanning the dark aisles. "We don't have time