[3/10 of Castle Mass Release! Shout out to Darkone33!]
The air outside the rift was tense. An unnatural stillness had settled over the clearing, the kind that made the hairs on the back of Fiona's neck prickle.
No birds. No wind. No sound at all. As if the world itself was holding its breath.
The rift stood before her like a yawning mouth, its dark, swirling surface flickering faintly with streaks of red and black.
Fiona hated waiting.
Her vibrant red hair, wild and untamed, flashed like fire under the dim light as she paced back and forth, arms crossed, eyes sharp with barely concealed impatience.
Her green eyes flicked toward the rift every few seconds, watching, waiting. Nothing.
The minutes stretched on, and her fingers itched at her sides. Too long. They had been inside too long!
Her brothers were in there.
Trent and Kent. Her family. Her blood.
