The forest burned with faint silver light as the last of the shadows faded. Their shrieks echoed once before vanishing into nothing. The clearing was quiet again—too quiet—but this time, it was victory, not fear, that filled the silence.
I stood in the middle of the field, chest heaving, every muscle shaking from exhaustion. The air still hummed with the leftover energy of the battle, and smoke curled from the trees where the shadows had burned away.
Asher’s arm slid around my shoulders, steadying me. His shirt was torn, blood staining the edge of his sleeve, but his eyes were alive, focused on me. “It’s over.” He breathed. “We did it.”
“We did.” I whispered back, voice hoarse.
Arlo stood a few meters away, notebook in one hand, the other pressed against his side where a shadow had gra
