The Price of Power

The moment Mia stepped forward, the air around her shifted. The earth beneath her feet vibrated—subtle, but alive with energy. Every instinct screamed at her to act, but she forced herself to stop. To think.

The Forsaken were watching.

They didn’t lunge, didn’t snarl. They simply waited.

Mia’s eyes locked onto Chad. He was bruised, blood dried against his temple, his arms restrained by thick iron chains that glowed faintly with runes. Suppressors. Designed to drain an elemental’s strength.

His golden eyes met hers, sharp despite his exhaustion. “Mia—”

A dark figure stepped into view before he could finish.

A woman.

Draped in blackened armor, her silver hair catching the torchlight. Her eyes—piercing, electric blue—settled on Mia like a predator sizing up prey.

“I was beginning to wonder if you’d come.”

Mia’s fists clenched. “Who are you?”

The woman smiled. “Someone who understands what you truly are.”