Everywhere along the border, tension pulled the air tight. Francis had been the first to break the silence, his rumbling voice steady despite the storm gathering behind his eyes.
He looked toward Alexander and asked what everyone else was thinking.
"So what do we do now?"
Alexander drew in a breath, shoulders lifting as he prepared to give the only order that made sense.
"It's simple. We go to assist th—"
He never finished.
As a wave of corruption tore across Pandora like a rotten tide, it was a sign of the infinite barrier being breached.
It was not only thick, but also profane and ancient.
The kind of presence that made every soul, regardless of strength, feel as if cold metal had snapped around their spine.
From the rulers to the divine-ranked armada, down to the simplest citizen in every domain, the entire world froze under that suffocating weight.
Then, just as suddenly it vanished.
Cold sweat streaked down Elaine's cheek.
