Chapter 38.
Lucien's POV
The shadows creeping in around us, the darkness seeping into every nook and crevice ready to devour us whole, felt to me. From us—our power, our optimism, and now, it seemed, our very souls—the fight had taken everything. But turning back was not possible. Not now. Emerging from the temple, Alyssa held the amulet shining in her hand, its light slicing through the darkness. I had a flash of hope for a minute. She had performed it. She has located the object meant to save all of us. That expectation, however, was fleeting. The ground shook beneath us as she emerged into the open and a black presence permeated the space. I didn't have to circle back to identify it.