Aria touched the stone. The moment her fingers made contact, the glow flared brighter, and the heartbeat quickened. She felt a rush of heat through her veins, her vision sharpening, her pulse matching the altar's rhythm.
Kael stepped closer. "Aria"
She jerked her hand back, breathing hard. "It's not dead. And whatever's inside, it knows me."
The Councilman stumbled backward, shaking his head. "No. No, this can't be happening. The Council sealed it for a reason. If you open it"
Aria's gaze locked on him. "Then maybe I'll give them a reason to be afraid."
Before anyone could stop her, she placed both palms on the altar. The glow burst into a blinding light, swallowing the clearing in red.
Somewhere deep in the forest, something howled not in fear, but in answer.
The clearing was wrong.
The air here didn't move not a whisper of wind, not a flicker of the leaves. Even the shadows clung stubbornly to the ground, too heavy to lift.