Elias's POV
The shock of watching Merida transform into that... thing... still hadn't worn off. My throat burned where the shadow rope had squeezed, and every breath reminded me how close we had come to suffocating. But worse than the physical pain was the image burned into my mind, Merida's form dissolving into smoke alongside that monster wearing Maeve's face.
Aiyana stood in the doorway, still holding that glowing stone that had driven them away. The light had dimmed but still pulsed with an otherworldly radiance that made my lycan instincts both recoil and yearn to howl.
"What is that thing?" I asked, gesturing weakly at the stone.
Aiyana's face was solemn, aged beyond her years in that moment.
She closed her eyes briefly, as if gathering strength. "The Lux Aeterna. One of the few weapons that can harm beings of pure corruption." Her eyes snapped open. "But we don't have time for explanations. We must move. Now."
"Why—" Dante started.
