[Gale's POV]
I let my fairy sight fade. The world snapped back into its ordinary, frustrating solidity—the lantern light too warm, the shadows too shallow, the air too still. My gaze fell on the ridiculous fairy stuffed toy sitting on the chair beside the sleeping Ovelia. A cheap vessel for a priceless stone. A childish comfort for someone who had just witnessed hell.
"I only read about Thaumamorphs in the same forbidden, plagiarized text that mentioned the Flesh Hunters," I said, my voice flat. The words came out clipped, each one placed with deliberate care, as if I could control the chaos by controlling my tone.
I looked at Ray. He was watching me with that unnerving, patient focus—the stillness of a predator who could wait forever.
"The entry was brief. It stated that Thaumamorphs are beings with both dark aura and dark mana flowing through them. That is the sum total of what I know."
