Vale's POV
The voice in my mind grew louder as darkness pulled me under.
"Wake up, little queen. We have so much to discuss."
My eyes snapped open, but I wasn't where I'd fallen. Instead, I stood in a place made of shadows and whispers. The ground beneath my feet was solid darkness. The sky above glowed with sick green light.
"Where am I?" I asked, spinning around.
"Inside the incomplete bond," the voice replied. "The space where the fifth king should have been."
A figure materialized from the shadows. It looked human at first, but wrong. Too tall. Too thin. With eyes that were holes leading to infinite darkness.
"What are you?" I demanded, trying to summon my magic.
Nothing happened. I was completely powerless here.
"I am what happens when prophecies break," the figure said. "When bonds are severed instead of completed. When moon magic leaves empty spaces."
"That's not an answer."
