Chapter 64

• The air crackled with the tension of magic and uncertainty as the factions gathered in the shadow of the forest. Tents had been erected in a makeshift camp on the outskirts of the mountain, not far from the cave where Eleanor was preparing to complete the Severing Ritual. The once-divided groups—warlocks, fae, shifters, and Demion’s forces—now stood side by side, though trust was still thin between them. Each faction knew they had little choice but to work together if they were to have any hope of stopping Eleanor.
• The sun was beginning to set, casting an orange glow over the treetops. Demion stood with Tyler and Lucas near the command tent, discussing final battle strategies. The weight of leadership pressed down on him more heavily than it ever had. It wasn’t just the fate of his own people he carried now—it was the survival of the entire magical world.
• “I’ve reinforced the southern perimeter,” Tyler said, his voice calm but edged with the usual tactical sharpness. “But we’re still exposed near the eastern cliffs. If Eleanor’s forces strike from that direction, it could get ugly fast.”