Oswald slept soundly, the strange warmth from his chest fading into silence. But the energy he released had rippled far through the city, and it hadn't gone unnoticed.
At the ruined school, Lyra Vey stood in the broken window frame, her sealing spell for the werewolf finally fading behind her. She had felt it—a surge, sharp and unnatural, cutting through the night air like a flare. It had been him. Oswald.
Her fingers clenched. "That power… it doesn't belong to a human. It's not even like a creature from the Otherworld. It's something else."
Her tracker rune pulsed faintly in the air, pointing her toward the direction of his home. She could go now. She could seal him before he realized what he was becoming. The thought made her hand tremble with hesitation.
But then she looked at the dark sky. The night was pressing late, and the surge of energy had already drawn whispers in the shadows. Other things—creatures who thrived on strange power—would be hunting soon.
If she went alone, she'd be walking into danger unprepared.
Lyra lowered her hand, the tracker rune flickering out. Her expression hardened. "Not tonight. I'll gather the others. When the time comes, we'll confront him together. If Omni refuses to submit… we'll seal him for good."
Her silver-streaked hair caught the moonlight as she stepped away from the broken glass. The witch's boots echoed down the hall as she left the school behind, determination in her stride.
Far away, Oswald turned in his sleep, completely unaware. The night gave him peace, but it was a fragile peace. Soon, Lyra—and her allies—would come for him.
And when that time came, he wouldn't be facing just her.