SERAPHINA
"The Heart! I need the Heart of the Selenias!"
My desperate scream echoed through the chamber, but no one was there to hear me. The sacred artifact—my last hope—was nowhere to be found. My knees hit the cold stone floor as I clutched my bleeding hand to my chest, tears blurring my vision.
I crawled forward frantically, searching among the rubble. My blood smeared across the ancient stones as I pushed aside debris with my good hand. The sounds of battle—of Landon being torn apart by that monster—reached me even here, driving me to move faster.
"Please," I begged to whoever might be listening. "Please, I need it!"
I'd fled the main chamber after freeing myself from the Vampire King's grip, using the last of my strength to create a diversion that allowed me to escape down a narrow passageway. I could still hear Landon's desperate mental plea as I retreated: *Find it. I'll hold him off.*
But the alcove where the Heart should have been was empty.