Chapter 23: The Ruins of the Dead Forest

The dead forest became colder as they approached the castle.

No snow fell beneath its black branches. The ground remained bare and cracked, poisoned by ancient magic left from the Great Cleansing.

Silver wolves had once ruled here.

Harper felt traces of t

Chapter 24: The Final Confrontation

For several seconds, Harper could not move.

Evelyn stood beside the collapsing extraction apparatus with her pale hair loose around her shoulders. Dark veins crossed one side of her face, glowing purple beneath the skin.

She looked older than the woman who had

Chapter 25: The Dawn of the Silver Queen

Morning entered the Shadow Lands for the first time in generations.

As the laboratory collapsed beneath the ancient castle, the purple runes covering the ruins faded into black stone. Fog lifted from the dead forest in long silver ribbons, revealing a pale