The hum deepened until it felt like the world itself was growling.
Rina stumbled backward as the shadows coalesced into human shapes — cloaked figures, faces hidden, symbols burning faintly across their chests. The air around them shimmered like heat off asphalt.
Niklaus stepped in front of her. "Stay behind me."
Her pulse thundered. "Who are they?"
"The Keepers," he said, voice low. "They've been waiting for you to wake up."
The nearest figure tilted its head. "You broke the seal," it said — the voice metallic, distorted, like a hundred voices woven into one. "You've doomed this world again."
Rina's throat went dry. "What are you talking about?"
The figure raised a hand. The air warped — and suddenly the ground beneath her exploded.
Niklaus moved faster than human — one blur of gold light — grabbing her and throwing them both clear as a blast tore through the field. Dirt and grass erupted in all directions.
"Run!" he shouted.
Rina's legs wouldn't move. "I don't—"
Then another wave hit, and her instincts took over. She bolted toward the bleachers, but a cloaked Keeper appeared in front of her, blocking the path. Its hand reached out — thin, gloved, glowing white.
"Light returns to its source," it hissed.
She raised her hands, terrified — and the world answered.
A burst of blinding light exploded from her chest, throwing the Keeper backward like a rag doll.
Rina stared at her hands, trembling. "What did I—"
Niklaus landed beside her, eyes wide. "You remembered."
Before she could speak, three more Keepers surrounded them. Niklaus's shadow stretched across the field, rising behind him like wings. The golden light in his eyes flared, and the air thickened.
"Get back," he warned.
The Keepers lunged.
Niklaus met them head-on, the ground cracking under his steps. He moved like darkness itself, every strike leaving trails of black fire. When one Keeper tried to flank him, Rina's instincts flared again — a blinding shield of light erupted around them, stopping the blade inches from his back.
For a heartbeat, their powers merged — shadow and light swirling together, the same pulse echoing between them.
Niklaus turned to her, voice raw. "Don't stop."
"I don't know how!"
"Then feel it!"
Rina closed her eyes. The hum inside her chest grew louder, deeper, until it wasn't just a sound — it was memory. She saw flashes — cities made of glass, skies burning gold, a throne of light. And then everything burst outward.
A ring of energy blasted from her, flattening everything within twenty feet. The Keepers hit the ground hard, cloaks smoking, symbols flickering out.
Silence.
Only the sound of her breathing.
Rina opened her eyes. The grass around them had turned white, glowing faintly. Niklaus knelt beside her, his hand hovering near her cheek.
"You did it," he whispered.
She looked around at the devastation, her voice breaking. "I didn't mean to—"
"I know." His eyes softened. "But now they know you've awakened. Every Keeper on this continent will feel that surge."
"What do we do?"
He glanced toward the forest beyond the field — dark and endless. "We run. Before sunrise."
He took her hand. The pulse between them steadied, warm and dangerous all at once.
And for the first time, Rina didn't pull away.