THE THREAD OF SHADOWS

entrance yawned before them, a gaping mouth of darkness. Sienna stood at the threshold, her breath visible in the cold night air, the jo

lickered, casting eerie shapes against the crumbling pillars and broken statues that lined the hallway. It had been ye

cutting through the oppressive silence. She hated how

d to be a place of worship-before it was forgotten. But

something to

e stone. "Everything is connected. Lena's disappearance, the Thread, t

on the journal. "And h

ion unreadable in the dim light.

ds hung heavy in the air between them. She had known from the start

as far away from him as possible. But something

d, her voice low, almost a gr

was. Not anymore. I left th

ect me to be

a. I'm asking you to trust what you've seen. The Thread is real. The shadows are r

fully. But she couldn't deny that he had knowledge she didn't. And she cou

arp. "But if you try anything-

hort, humorless

symbols that looked vaguely familiar but just out of reach in Sienna's memory. She felt a tug at the edge of her cons

the atmosphere became. It was as if the temple was alive, breathing around them, watching their every mov

es me the creep

ce was grim.

ore them. Strange symbols were etched into its surface, glowing faintly in

aid softly. "The h

oor, her pulse quicken

n replied. "And

groaned, shuddering as it slowly slid open, revealing a vast chamber beyond. The air

heir faces obscured by shadow. In the center of the room was a large stone altar

above the altar that mad

like a spider's web, pulsing faintly with an eerie light.

untary step back. "W

s pale. "The Thr

e darkness that had been haunting her, the force that had taken Lena-it all l

f to touch the threads. "This is what they were after. Th

did t

hey couldn't control it. It's too powerful. It's alive, Sienna. It feed

ght in her throat.

"It binds them, twists them into something else. It's a

cold. "What are y

adows you've been seeing-they're all signs. The Thread is inside you,

her mind reeling. "No

nd the longer you stay near it, the stronger its hold will becom

dn't believe it. But deep down, she knew Lucien was right. She had felt it-the shadows

ady caught i

was no e

-

Betr

e had come here for answers, but now all she had was more quest

now?" she asked

set in grim determination. "We sever the Th

yes narrow

hanging in the air. "There's a ritual. It's dangerous. But if i

orm in her stomach.

s pale. "Then it

enormous risk. But she had no choice. If she didn't sever the

said, her v

e from his coat. He held it out to her, his

e altar, the pulsing red threads casting an eerie light across

t to make the cut, the r

horus of whispers. Sienna staggered back, her vision blurring as the darkness closed

she heard

en

hroat. The voice was soft, bare

as L

called out, her

saw her-Lena, standing at the edge of the darkness

ice was faint, dist

houted, her vo