The wind died the moment their boots touched the sand.
For a breath, the world held still.
The beach stretched wide, but not empty—ruins lay scattered across the sand, half-buried by time. Crumbling pillars jutted from the shore, their surfaces covered in glowing etchings that pulsed faintly.
The three of them stood at the edge of the jungle, the trees twisted and gnarled like ancient sentinels, their leaves glowing faintly in hues of blue and green. The air smelled rich—earthy, damp, and tinged with something electric, something magical. The moment Rian stepped forward, the sand shifted beneath him, rippling outward as if the land itself had taken a breath.
Yara's hand instinctively went to her weapon. "That wasn't normal."
"Neither is this place." Val's voice was low, his golden eyes narrowing at the pulsating glow of the plants. His fingers brushed against a vine, and the moment his skin met the surface, it recoiled, curling away as if afraid. "Charming."
