Evelyn's POV
Before I could even process what was happening, before I could take a proper breath, everything changed.
One moment, Lucian was standing there beside me in that cold, misty clearing, his presence dark and commanding even against the eerie glow of the borderlands, and the next, Hilda's wrinkled hand had grabbed my wrist.
It felt like being yanked through the fabric of the world itself. The air around me tore apart with a soundless rush, and darkness swallowed everything.
Then, suddenly, the world snapped back into focus.
I stumbled, gasping, my body lurching forward onto a rough wooden floor. The smell of old ash and burnt herbs filled my nostrils. My head spun so hard I thought I might faint. When my vision cleared, I realized I was no longer outside.
I was in some sort of dark, cozy room, if you could even call it cozy. Shadows clung to the corners like living things. It felt.… contained. A place where sound wouldn't escape even if I screamed.
