Kaelira's face went bone white.
"Ethan—what are you doing?!"
He'd just thrown himself into the heart of that power?
Even the most battle-hardened monarchs wouldn't dare such a thing.
But Ethan was already gone, swallowed by the swirl of darkness and red light.
Kaelira didn't have time to think. She clenched her jaw—and jumped in after him.
…
Moments later, she landed hard on a narrow stone bridge.
"Bridge" was generous. It was more like the jagged edge of a world barely holding itself together.
Only wide enough for one person.
On either side, an endless abyss yawned open, black and bottomless.
Below, crimson energy churned and boiled like the heart of a dead star still twitching in its grave.
Glug… glug…
Each pulse echoed like it was trying to suck her soul straight out of her chest.
Kaelira steadied herself, forced her breath to slow—and looked up.
Ethan was already at the far end of the bridge.
Right at the eye of the slaughter vortex.
