Chapter 67

• The fortress loomed before them, its dark, jagged walls rising against the cloudy night sky. The air felt heavy with an unnatural energy, sending a shiver down Amara’s spine. She tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword, glancing at Xander, who stood beside her, his gaze steely and focused.
• “This place feels wrong,” Asher muttered from behind them, his usual sarcasm replaced with wariness. “Like it’s alive or something.”
• “It’s definitely protected,” Elira, the witch accompanying them, said as her fingers traced faint, glowing runes on the crumbling stone walls. “These wards are old but powerful. They weren’t designed to keep people out—they were designed to keep something in.”