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Julian Thorne arrives in the secluded town of Shadowmere, seeking to uncover its hidden history. He quickly encounters Sabrina, the enigmatic and powerful guardian of the town, who warns him against delving too deep. Despite the danger, Julian is drawn into a forbidden attraction with Sabrina as he investigates the town's secrets, including a tragic love story from the past, a dormant power, and a looming curse tied to a powerful family.

Echoes of the Shadowed Grove

Sabrina woke to an empty bed and the scent of upturned earth.

She found Julian in the graveyard, his bare chest streaked with mud, his fingers bloodied from digging. The hole at his feet revealed:

A child-sized coffin (too small to be Lyra's)

Frayed blue ribbons (Sabrina's, from her childhood)

A wedding band (inscribed Elias & Marianne)

"Julian," Sabrina whispered, stepping closer.

He turned, his eyes black from edge to edge, his voice layered with the grove's whispers:

"We forgot her. We left her alone."

—and the ground surged upward, burying Julian to his waist in writhing roots. They coiled around his torso, his throat, his mouth—

Sabrina screamed, tearing at the roots, her wedding band searing her flesh. The moment her sap-blood hit the ground, the roots recoiled, freeing Julian.

He collapsed against her, his breath ragged, his lips stained violet.

"She's coming back," he gasped. "The first Lyra. The one the grove really wanted."

CHAPTER 6: THE SLEEPWALKER'S GRAVE