The clearing was alive with energy. The air shimmered and pulsed, thick with the raw power of the Eclipse. I could feel it in my chest, coiling and stretching, pulling at every fiber of my being. Kaelen and Kaelric flanked me, their presence steady, their eyes sharp. Asher, Gage, and Arlo formed a tight circle around me, their hands brushing mine, our bond humming with a low, powerful rhythm.
The shadows were coming…not scattered, not probing…but in full force. Shapes darker than night themselves surged through the edges of the forest. They weren’t mindless this time. They had purpose. They had waited. They knew this night would make them strong.
“Stay in the circle!” I shouted, trying to control the surge of energy in my chest. My voice carried over the wind, over the first crashing wav
