Morning came quietly, but the air felt heavier than before. The forest still smelled faintly of smoke from the battle, and the packhouse hummed with low voices and cautious movement. Everyone knew what Eryx had said the night before — the real fight hadn’t even begun yet.
Asher and I stood outside the training field before sunrise, mist curling around our boots, the first light of dawn spilling across the trees. My muscles still ached, but Eryx hadn’t given us a choice. He said if we were going to survive the next eclipse, we had to learn how to hold its power together — as one.
Arlo was the first to arrive, holding a notebook and looking half-awake. “I don’t know about you.” He said, rubbing his eyes, “but I’d kill for a normal day. Maybe one that doesn’t include nearly dying.”
Gage la
