Aware of the Story
Zac Hardshaw had always been a little different.
Not just because he noticed shadows a little too clearly, or light lingering a little too long—but because he knew.
He knew the stories. He knew the Fold, the Darkling, and the Grisha. He had read the books, memorized the maps of Ravka, and even imagined where the Fold might twist in real life. And somehow—impossibly—he was here.
Twelve years old, small, wiry, and untrained, Zac found himself standing at the edge of the Shadow Fold. The mist rolled like smoke, curling over jagged cliffs. He knew what the stories said: the Darkling ruled shadows, Alina wielded light, and the Fold consumed anyone foolish enough to enter.
And now… I'm actually here, he thought, swallowing hard.