Now, standing at the ruined gates, Jonah adjusted the blade at his hip and stepped into the hollowed remnants of the hive's outer circle. He didn't flinch as ash clung to his boots. He didn't waver as whispers of the dead brushed the back of his neck. He had only one goal.
Find her. Bring her back. Save Xavier.
The deeper he walked, the quieter the world became.
Stone walls rose like broken teeth around him, scorched and blackened. At his sides, twisted iron and glass glistened like bones under moonlight. The once-grand architecture of the vampires' kingdom had been shattered, left to rot under the weight of their queen's arrogance.
Every now and then, he passed movement—phantoms? Shadows? He couldn't tell. His heartbeat was too loud. Or maybe it was something else… a presence pressing against his skull like an invisible hand.
Still, he moved forward.
