Nerine's feet echoed softly against the damp walls of the cave. The air was thick, heavy, charged with something unnatural. She pressed her hand to the stone, guiding herself forward, her heart hammering as her vision blurred in the dark.
And then she saw it.
Bodies. Dozens of them, strewn across the jagged floor like discarded dolls, their blood painting the stone red. The metallic scent clung to her tongue. In the center of it all stood him.
Kael.
His form was still, his clothes soaked crimson, his hands dripping with it as though it belonged to him. Her chest seized. Did he—had he killed them all?
She tried to turn, to run, but her feet refused to obey. She was rooted, trembling, as his head lifted.
Those eyes—deep red, inhuman, terrifying.
He walked toward her slowly, each step deliberate, a predator who knew the prey was trapped. His mouth opened, fangs glinting with menace, and just as they reached for her throat....
She jolted awake, gasping, drenched in sweat.
