Chapter 40 The Cost Of Defiance

• The abyss trembled as the override flared inside Jared like a second heartbeat, too fast, too violent. The mirrored Jared lunged, his blade of shadow splitting into a hundred shards mid-swing. Each shard screamed through the air like a chain seeking a throat.
• Jared didn’t dodge. He stepped into it. Crown-light burst from his chest, meeting the storm head-on. The collision shrieked like thunder, black and white fire colliding until the ground itself peeled away.
• Emma’s cry pierced the chaos. “Jared!”