"We've been waiting for you."
The stranger's voice drifted across the hillside.
Calm.
Steady.
Unnervingly familiar.
A cold wind swept through the area.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Alexander immediately stepped in front of Emily.
His protective instinct was automatic now.
Emily barely noticed.
Her attention remained fixed on the pendant hanging from the stranger's hand.
The symbol.
The same symbol from Aurelia's memories.
The same symbol carved into the pillars she had seen in her vision.
The same symbol connected to the First Sanctuary.
The stranger shouldn't have it.
And yet—
There it was.
Glowing softly beneath the afternoon sunlight.
Daniel was the first to break the silence.
"Well."
He folded his arms.
"That doesn't sound ominous at all."
Nobody laughed.
The tension was too thick.
The first child narrowed his eyes.
His golden markings flickered.
"Who are you?"
The hooded stranger looked toward him.
For a brief moment—
