The storm didn’t come with rain.
It came with silence.
A vast, echoing silence that swallowed wind, stole birdsong, and turned even the crackling embers of our campfire into a hushed whisper. Kael’s hand tightened in mine as we emerged from the cradle of the shattered crystal chamber. The light from the First Thread still echoed faintly across my skin, trailing delicate gold veins that shimmered beneath my flesh.
The world was holding its breath.
“I’ve never felt anything like this,” Kael murmured, scanning the dark horizon. “It’s like the earth itself is listening.”
“It is,” I said quietly. “The thread... it’s more than power. It’s memory. Every truth that was ever buried, every lie that kept magic chained—it’s all unraveling.”
“And that’s a good thing?”
I looked at him. “It’s nece
