Lyra stood frozen in the empty room long after Kael had left, his words still echoing in her mind. _"Time is running out."_ It was a warning, but of what? She couldn't shake the feeling that whatever was happening, it was closing in on her faster than she could grasp.
Her heart was still racing, the rush of emotions from their encounter making it difficult to think straight. She had wanted to fight back, to reject everything Kael was telling her, but a deeper part of her—the part that was still bound to him—knew that his words held weight. There were others out there, and they were dangerous.
The idea made her blood run cold.
She walked over to the window, pressing her palm against the cool glass. The forest outside seemed unnervingly calm, the shadows from the trees stretching long as dusk began to settle over the land. A strange quiet hung in the air, but it wasn't the peaceful kind—it was heavy, thick, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
