Chapter 13 Past

• THE TERRIYING image of the desolate landscape under a blood-red sky, dominated by the ominous obsidian structure, was seared into Selene's mind. It pulsed behind her eyes, a chilling premonition that left her shaken and breathless. Waldemar's words, "a glimpse of your true purpose," resonated with a grim finality, twisting the knife of her captivity deeper. He held the mysterious, now-closed book, his gaze fixed on her with an unnerving intensity that spoke of dawning realization.
• "What was that place?" Selene demanded, her voice a reedy whisper, barely recognizable as her own. She hugged herself, trying to ward off the lingering cold from the vision. "What ritual are you talking about? What purpose?"
• Waldemar didn't answer immediately. He tucked the book into a concealed compartment on his desk, his movements deliberate, his expression unreadable. The air in the study felt charged, heavy with unspoken secrets. When he finally turned back to her, his golden eyes held a mixture of solemnity and a chilling determination.