Chapter 31 Shattered Bonds

The darkness of the forbidden lands pressed in around them like a living thing, thick and suffocating, as though the world itself was holding its breath. Isla felt the weight of it in her bones, the air heavy with the remnants of magic too ancient and too powerful to be understood. It was a place of death and rebirth, where the echoes of forgotten spells hummed beneath the surface like a persistent whisper, always calling, always waiting. Dominic stayed close, his presence a comforting anchor in the midst of the chaos swirling inside her. She could still feel the woman's words resonating in her mind, their weight pressing down on her chest with each breath she took. The storm will come, and you will face it, whether you are ready or not.