[POV: Ruvan]
The marrow's glow swelled until it was all he could see. It broke into thin, vertical ribbons of pale light, rising and twisting in swirling motions. They wrapped around his shoulders, his chest, and his throat…
They didn't harm him, not yet, but they were peeling him open, layer by layer, as though they were trying to see what lay inside.
Kairas' growl rumbled through his mind, low and edged with unease.
We're not strong enough for this fight.
The voice spoke again, closer now, resonating through the bone and the very air in his lungs. It made his ribcage tremble and his fists clench.
"Ah… the one who bears the tongue of gods calls for you. Does she even know what she is?"
Ruvan's lips peeled back over his teeth in a snarl. "You'll keep her out of your mouth."
It laughed—a sound that shook the marrow beneath him and sent hairline fractures spiraling through the frost. The entirety of the ruins trembled in response.
