"Hm?"
Seralyth's eyes narrowed as the pulse of magic brushed against her senses. The vibration wasn't loud or violent, but subtle—like a ripple. She lifted her hand, sensing the thread of energy coil into her palm.
From her ring, she pulled something out—a withered fragment of what used to be vibrant. A leaf. Shrivelled, its veins darkened and brittle, the edges crumbling as if it had been drained of life.
Her expression hardened."Damn it."
Emma, standing across from her, flinched at the sudden shift. She'd been about to ask if this had relation to Caelen, but the words hung on her lips, and Seralyth's aura pressed down before she could speak. The former Queen's shadow magic began to stir.
"Wait—" Emma stepped forward.
Too late. Seralyth's body melted into the ground like she was slipping beneath the surface. In a blink, only her head remained, eyes glinting very sharply. And then—gone.
The silence that followed was heavy.
