The house had never felt this heavy before.
Night surrounded Julien's home like a thick shadow. No wind. No sound. Just silence pressing against the walls.
Kaela Vox remained chained in the center of the room.
Silver restraints wrapped around her wrists and ankles, glowing faintly under the candlelight.
Lucas leaned against the doorframe, watching her carefully.
For once, he wasn't joking.
Something about the air tonight felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Julien stood by the window.
Nora paced slowly near the stairs, her golden wolf eyes flickering every few seconds.
She kept stopping, listening to something no one else could hear.
Finally she whispered,
"Do you hear that?"
Lucas tilted his head.
"Hear what?"
Nora looked toward the forest.
"The wolves."
Everyone went quiet.
"The forest is awake tonight," she said softly.
"They're howling… but not for the moon."
Velik crossed his arms.
"Then what are they howling for?"
Nora's voice became lower.
"A warning."
Lucas sighed.
"Fantastic. Everyone has supernatural warnings now."
Across the room, Eva sat on the floor, trying to control her breathing.
Her hands were glowing again.
The magic inside her pulsed like a storm trapped under her skin.
She clenched her fists.
"I can't stop it."
Energy rippled through the floor.
Cracks slowly spread across the wooden boards.
Zoe immediately knelt beside her.
"It's okay."
Her voice sounded calmer than before.
Stronger.
Because something had changed in her.
Ever since she began hearing the spirits, they had not left her alone.
They whispered constantly.
Teaching her.
Guiding her.
Sometimes even correcting her.
Zoe closed her eyes.
The air around her shimmered slightly.
Soft, glowing shapes appeared in the corners of the room.
Faint silhouettes of ancient spirits.
They circled Zoe slowly like guardians.
Lucas stared.
"…Okay that's officially creepy."
Velik watched them carefully.
"The spirits trust her."
Zoe opened her eyes again.
"They're helping."
She gently placed her hands over Eva's glowing ones.
"Listen to them."
Eva shook her head weakly.
"I hear nothing."
Zoe whispered softly,
"They're saying your magic is no longer just magic."
The room grew colder.
"They say it's something older."
Eva's breath became unsteady.
Suddenly—
Her magic exploded outward.
The candles blew out instantly.
Windows shattered.
A violent wave of energy blasted through the entire house.
Lucas grabbed the table to keep himself standing.
"Okay! That's definitely worse!"
Julien rushed forward.
"Eva!"
The glowing symbols suddenly appeared beneath her feet.
Ancient shapes burned into the wooden floor.
Symbols none of them recognized.
Zoe stared at them in horror.
"The spirits didn't show me this…"
Nora stepped closer slowly.
Her wolf instincts screaming inside her head.
Something about those symbols felt wrong.
Deep in the forest, wolves began howling again.
Louder this time.
Dozens of voices.
Velik looked toward the window.
"The earth is reacting."
Kaela watched everything quietly from her chair.
Then suddenly…
She laughed.
A soft, slow laugh.
Lucas looked at her.
"Oh good."
"The prisoner is entertained."
But Kaela wasn't looking at him.
She was staring directly at the symbols under Eva.
Her smile slowly grew wider.
Zoe noticed it.
"Why are you smiling?"
Kaela tilted her head slightly.
"They think I'm the villain."
Her voice was calm.
Almost amused.
Julien stepped forward.
"What does that mean?"
Kaela leaned back in the chair.
The chains rattled softly.
"You're wasting time."
Lucas crossed his arms.
"Then help us save time and start talking."
Kaela looked straight at him.
For the first time, her smile disappeared.
"Lucas Kane…"
Her voice became quieter.
"You should hope I never escape."
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"And why is that?"
Kaela's smile slowly returned.
Because—
"I'm the only one who knows how to stop it."
The room fell silent.
Julien's eyes hardened.
"Stop what?"
Kaela said nothing.
She just leaned back again.
Watching them.
Waiting.
Zoe suddenly gasped.
The spirits around her began shaking violently.
Their glowing forms twisting in panic.
"No…"
Zoe whispered.
"They're scared."
Lucas blinked.
"Spirits get scared?"
Zoe turned toward the ceiling.
Her voice trembling.
"They're screaming."
Suddenly—
Every spirit in the room disappeared.
The light around Zoe vanished instantly.
She collapsed to her knees.
Julien caught her.
"Zoe!"
Her eyes were wide with fear.
"It's here…"
Outside—
The wind stopped completely.
The forest went silent.
Even the wolves stopped howling.
As if the entire world had suddenly begun listening.
Something deep beneath the earth had awakened.
Something ancient.
Something far older than vampires.
Far older than witches.
Kaela watched the fear spreading across their faces.
And slowly…
Very slowly…
She smiled again.
Far away in the darkness beneath Ashwood—
Something opened its eyes.
And the ground trembled.
Zoe whispered weakly,
"It has finally woken up…"
Lucas looked toward the forest.
Then back at his friends.
And for the first time…
Even he looked slightly worried.
The darkness had begun moving.
And this was only the beginning.