BATISTA POV
The moment Lyara vanished into thin air, the night seemed to grow heavier, pressing down on me with an unbearable weight. Her words still echoed inside my skull: You must leave now… the Nocturnis are coming.
I stared at the empty space she left behind, stunned. My chest tightened, and my throat felt raw. "What the hell are we supposed to do now?" I asked, my voice breaking in confusion. My arms instinctively pulled Rain closer against me, as if sheer force could stop her slipping away. Her body was limp, frighteningly cold. My gaze never left her face, pale and drawn, lips trembling faintly as if she fought just to stay tethered to this world.
"Go bring the horse," Kiran ordered one of his young helpers, his tone sharp, urgent. He wasn't asking. He was commanding, though his eyes betrayed the weight of failure. He already knew—knew that what little he had done was not enough.
