He clasped it so tightly that the edge pierced through his palm. Blood welled up instantly, dark and bright against his trembling skin.
The droplets hit the ground—and the world erupted.
White fire blazed from the marble, rushing out in all directions. The light consumed the room, devouring the walls, swallowing the chimeras' monstrous forms as their roars turned to distant echoes.
In a blinding instant, everything was gone.
And when the flame finally faded, they were no longer in the liminal realm that reunited them through an unintended connection.
They stood beneath towering trees, mist curling through the forest like breath. The air smelled of rain and ash, the silence heavy and unreal.
"Wh-where is this?" Ryley asked, breath ragged and voice trembling. But Clyde didn't answer.
