'What's… happening?'
The question echoed in Eli's skull, hollow and trembling, as the last of the dust drifted down like gray snow.
His hands hadn't stopped shaking.
They trembled around the picture frame—tight, desperate—like it was the only thing tethering him to the ground instead of letting him unravel completely.
His breath hitched as he stared down at it, the cold metal digging into his palms. Something about the weight… felt wrong. Heavy. Important. Dangerous.
And yet—
He couldn't let it go.
He swallowed hard, jaw clenching as he slid the frame inside his jacket. The icy press of it against his sternum sent a sharp shiver through him, almost like it recognized him.
'Don't think about that. Just… move. Kairo and Caelen might be outside. Maybe they're fighting the serpent. Maybe they're okay.'
He forced himself forward.
One unsteady step.
Then another.
