That night, the Hollow did not rest.
Storms circled it, unnatural and unrelenting. Fires sparked without wood. Winds wailed like widows. The ground itself trembled beneath old secrets.
Selene stood alone before the remnants of the altar, her eyes fixed on the horizon.
Alina watched her from a distance, feeling the bond stretch thin between them. The curse inside Alina was restless—no longer a mere presence but a heartbeat.
And Selene could feel it too.
"I'm losing you," Selene said softly when Alina approached.
"You'll never lose me," Alina replied.
But Selene shook her head. "You're becoming something... vast. I can barely touch you without hearing screams."
Alina tried to take her hand. "Then hold on harder."
Before Selene could answer, the sky split.
A figure fell from the storm—no horse, no army, just a girl. Alone. Cloaked in ash and shadow.
Alina caught her before she hit the ground.
She was barely breathing. Her skin bore the same markings as Alina's—curseborn. But not of the Hollow.
From the East.
When she opened her eyes, they glowed silver.
"The One Who Ends Flame," she rasped. "Is not me."
Selene knelt beside her. "Then who?"
The girl's eyes moved to Selene.
"You are the key. Your blood... unlocks the silence."
Before Alina could protest, the girl grabbed Selene's wrist and carved a single rune into her skin.
Blood sparked.
The wind died.
And the Hollow roared.