The Dark Forest was screaming.

  Not with sound, but with pressure. Deep in the ruins, Varkhul slammed his fist against a stone pillar, cracking it in half. Dust and ancient moss rained down on his armored shoulders.

  His raiders stayed silent, frozen beneath his fury. They had never seen their master like this.

  “The bracelet is not here. Someone took it,” Varkhul hissed, his voice vibrating through the ground.

  The forest itself seemed to shiver at his tone.

  “We must find the mortal who wears it,” he growled, turning his glowing pale eyes to the trembling lieutenant. “Before the rot takes him. Before He finds him.”

  The soldier swallowed hard. “My lord… what happens if the bracelets merge? If the seal breaks?”

  Varkhul looked into the deep shadows of the trees. He answered with only one word.

  “Extinction.”

  The next morning, the air in Lumina Village was thick with humidity.

  Lyra found Kaelen near the well. He was hauling water, but his movements were stiff, mechanical. He looked pale, deep circles bruising the skin under his eyes. He stared at things that weren't there.

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  She’d known him her entire life—they were partners in mischief since they could walk. She stepped beside him, resting her hand on the cold stone rim.

  “You look like you haven’t slept in days,” she said softly. “Did something happen after the raid?”

  Kaelen forced a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. His hand reflexively touched his covered right wrist. “Just thinking.”

  Lyra nudged him with her shoulder. “You always think too much.”

  He laughed quietly—but something inside him tightened. The fear was a cold knot in his stomach. He wished he could tell her. He wished he could show her the iron bracelet burning against his skin.

  But some part of him whispered: If she sees it… she will fear you.

  He looked at her, really looked at her. Her messy silver hair caught in the morning light. Mud on her boots. The stubborn strength in her eyes. She made him feel human.

  Which was exactly why the voice in the bracelet woke up, hissing in his mind:

  “Stay away from her.”

  “She is weak.”

  “She will break you.”

  Kaelen’s jaw tightened. A sharp pain spiked through his wrist, and for a split second, the vibrant green of his eyes dulled into a foggy, lifeless grey.

  Lyra’s smile vanished. She leaned in closer. “Kaelen… your eyes. They looked—”

  Kaelen jerked his arm away sharply, breaking the moment.

  “Nothing,” he snapped, the harshness of his own voice stunning him. “Leave it alone, Lyra. Just stop watching me.”

  He turned and walked away quickly, his heart hammering against his ribs, leaving her standing alone by the well.

  It was a lie. The first of many.