The forest trembled beneath Aria's feet.
Not from any storm or earthquake—but from the weight of something old waking beneath the roots. She could feel it in her bones, a rhythmic pulse that hummed in the air like the breath of a slumbering god. Her crown of thorns and moonlight shimmered faintly with each beat, as if responding to a call she hadn't yet understood.
Caleb stood beside her, his hand gently laced in hers, his other resting over his heart. "It's coming from beneath the earth," he murmured, eyes scanning the moss-laced stones ahead. "Do you feel it?"
"I don't just feel it," Aria whispered, voice tight. "It's answering me."
Before them stretched an ancient stone dais, half-swallowed by vines and forgotten time. Carvings lined the edges—wolves, moons, fire, and… a woman. The same figure repeated over and over, always with her arms raised, a circle of flames hovering above her.
Aria's breath caught. The figure wore her crown.
