The Night The Lights Died

The blackout wasn't ordinary.

Within seconds of the lights dying, the wind shifted—unnatural, sharp, electric. Aurora felt it in her bones before she saw it. Magic. Raw, unfiltered, and ancient. It wasn't hers, but it called to something inside her all the same.

Below, the city was cloaked in unnatural silence. Then a low hum began to rise, vibrating through the air like the prelude to a song written in blood.

Zayne gripped her arm. "We need to get inside."

But Aurora didn't move.

She stood rooted to the spot, eyes scanning the horizon. There, on the edges of the skyline, something moved—like a tide of shadows creeping over the rooftops.

Fiona burst onto the rooftop, breathless. "They're here."

"Who?" Zayne demanded.

Fiona's eyes flashed with fear. "The Hollowed. Fragments of the curse that slipped free when Aurora broke it. They're feeding off the city's energy. They want her."

Aurora barely had time to react before Kalen appeared beside them, stepping out of the veil like a ghost. His crimson eyes locked onto hers.

"They've come for you, Aurora. And if they reach you... the thing inside you will awaken fully. You won't be able to stop it next time."

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Underground Plans

They didn't fight on the streets.

Ethan led them through old underground tunnels—remnants of the catacombs beneath the city, built long before modern magic even touched the earth. The air was cold and damp, but safe… for now.

"We can't keep running," Aurora said as they stopped in a small chamber lit by flickering flame runes. "We need a plan. Something solid."

Cassara stood at the far end, her arms crossed. "Plans don't matter if you don't understand what's been released."

She stepped forward, her voice low, commanding.

"When you absorbed your twin's magic, you didn't just take her power. You took her connection to the Hollowed—those cursed spirits twisted by centuries of dark magic. They need a host. And now they see you as their queen."

End of chapter 25...