The Unraveling Approaches

The moment Evelyn took a step forward, the ground lurched beneath her.

She staggered, the sudden rush of memories slamming into her like a physical force. Her breath caught in her throat, and her vision flickered—the present blurring into something else, something distant yet painfully familiar.

Flames.

Screams.

A dragon's roar splitting the sky.

She was there. She had been there.

A shadow moved before her, standing in the firelight—a girl, blade drawn, eyes blazing with determination.

And then—pain.

A cry of warning.

Blood.

The girl had shoved someone out of the way. She had saved someone.

Saved—Damien.

Evelyn's eyes snapped open, her pulse thundering in her ears.

She was on her knees, hands shaking, sweat dampening her forehead. Damien was crouched in front of her, his silver eyes narrowed. "Talk to me."

Her breath came out in short gasps. "I saw—" She swallowed hard. "The dragon. The fire. And her."

Damien went completely still.

Evelyn clenched her fists, the heat of the memory still burning in her veins. "She died saving you."

Damien's jaw tightened.

She forced herself to look him in the eye. "Did you ever tell me?"

His lips parted—then closed again. His usual arrogance, his effortless wit, gone.

Evelyn pushed forward. "Did you ever tell me she died protecting you?"

Damien exhaled sharply, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "No."

Her nails dug into her palms. "Why?"

His silver eyes darkened. "Because it wouldn't have changed a damn thing."

Evelyn's chest ached. "It would have changed everything."

A beat of silence.

Then—a sound.

A distant howl.

Low. Echoing. Not human.

Damien's head snapped up. "Move."

Before Evelyn could even react, the stone wall beside them exploded.

She threw herself backward, instinctively raising her arms as a shockwave of shattered rock and dust engulfed them.

Something massive loomed in the dust cloud. A hulking figure, shifting unnaturally.

Then—red eyes.

A guttural growl rumbled through the ruins.

Evelyn's fingers wrapped around her sword a second too late.

The creature lunged.

A flash of black claws, sharp and gleaming under the dim moonlight.

Damien grabbed her, yanking her out of the way just as the beast's claws sliced through the air where she had been standing.

She twisted, landing in a crouch, heart pounding. "What the hell is that?!"

Damien's expression was unreadable. "A problem."

The creature stepped forward, its form finally visible through the dust.

It was twisted, its body humanoid but grotesquely elongated, limbs jagged, flesh rippling with dark veins. Its mouth—if it could even be called that—curved into something too wide, too unnatural.

It reeked of magic.

Evelyn tightened her grip on her sword. "This isn't normal."

Damien clicked his tongue. "Nothing around Velthorne ever is."

The beast's head twitched toward them, its red eyes burning with hunger.

Then—it lunged.

Evelyn reacted purely on instinct. She ducked, her blade flashing as she slashed upward, catching the creature just beneath its ribs.

It howled—but didn't stop.

Damien was already moving, his dagger a blur as he struck at its neck.

The blade sank in—but not deep enough.

The creature snarled, swiping wildly. Damien barely dodged in time, twisting out of reach. "Tough bastard."

Evelyn didn't hesitate. She launched forward, twisting her sword and driving it straight through its chest.

The creature shuddered.

Then—grinned.

Her breath caught.

The wound sealed.

"What the—?"

Damien grabbed her wrist, yanking her back just as the creature's claws swept toward her throat.

He scowled. "Yeah. That's a problem."

The creature straightened, its body shifting, growing larger. Dark tendrils crawled along its skin, pulsing.

Then—it spoke.

A voice—wrong and broken, layered with something ancient.

"The Unraveling approaches."

Evelyn felt a chill race down her spine.

Damien's expression finally shifted into something close to real concern. "Tell me that doesn't mean what I think it means."

Evelyn swallowed. "It means Velthorne isn't just playing with us anymore."

The creature charged.

Damien grabbed Evelyn's arm. "We're not winning this fight."

Evelyn gritted her teeth. "We don't run."

"We do if we want to live."

Before she could argue, Damien threw something to the ground.

A bright flash of light erupted.

The creature howled.

Damien dragged Evelyn backward, hauling her through the ruined passage.

She stumbled, forcing her legs to move as the ground shook beneath them.

Behind them, the creature's roar shattered the night.

Evelyn's heart pounded.

Her mind screamed at her to fight.

But deep inside, she knew—

This was just the beginning.