Far beyond the clamoring heart of Grimoir. High upon the eastern ridges where the wind whispered like ancient prayers, stood a spirit in the form of a white serpent. Draped in jade-green robes, Bella gazed upon the chaos unraveling above the mortal world.
The sky was no longer blue. It writhed. Scarred by streaks of light that tore through the clouds like veins of molten glass. Thunder crawled across the horizon, not roaring but screaming.
For the first time in centuries, the Serpent Queen's pulse faltered.
*CRZZhhh—BLARZhh!
A bolt ripped the heavens apart. The shockwave rolled through the valley, shaking every leaf in the Vasukih forest below.
'Your Highness… what are your orders?'
The voice came from the balcony behind her. One of her sentinels, trembling beneath the growing storm. But Bella did not answer immediately. Her gaze lingered on the light clawing its way through the clouds.
Something within that storm was alive.
