GENERAL EMMET'S POV
The cold air bit at my face as we left the familiar walls of Draego behind accompanied by Jasper who lurked behind us. The mountains loomed ahead, dark, and formidable against the fading light. The Galton and Belden Mountains would have an allure to them—mysterious, foreboding, but alive with power. Today, that allure feels different, more like a warning than an invitation as per the information Maxwell gave me.
Maxwell walked beside me, his usual calm demeanor untouched by the cold or the magnitude of what we were about to do. I tried to match his steadiness, but the tension in my chest was undeniable. I have to keep reminding myself why we are here—why it has to be us. The heart's core of the mountain called to us, an ancient power older than time itself, full of wisdom and mysterious.
