Ellie POV
Consciousness came back to me like fire.
Not gently. Not gradually.
It slammed into me all at once, dragging me upward through pain so sharp it stole my breath.
My body arched off the stone floor as power tore through me unchecked, a blinding surge that burned behind my eyes and screamed in my veins.
I cried out.
The sound barely made it past my throat before magic detonated outward.
Golden light exploded from my skin in violent waves, slamming into the walls, the ceiling, the air itself. Stone cracked. The ground shuddered. Somewhere close, someone shouted in alarm.
“Ellie—get back!”
The voice was familiar. A warrior. A friend.
It didn’t matter.
Fear spiked—and the magic answered it instantly.
Another blast tore free, stronger tha
