The creature moved.
Not with speed.
Not with rage.
With intent.
Selene felt it before she fully saw it—the shift in the air, the way the pressure changed, as if the space around them bent slightly to accommodate something that didn't belong there.
It wasn't just approaching.
It was… recognizing.
Her.
The realization hit hard.
Selene stood her ground.
Every instinct screamed at her to move, to evade, to survive—but she didn't.
Because this wasn't like the others.
This wasn't a fight she could win with speed or strength alone.
This—
This was something else.
Behind her, Silas's voice cut through the tension.
"Selene, don't—"
She lifted her hand slightly.
A silent command.
Stop.
Silas didn't argue.
Didn't move.
But she could feel him there, right at the edge, ready to step in the second she faltered.
Rowan shifted slightly to the side, adjusting his position.
Kai muttered something under his breath that sounded like a prayer and a curse at the same time.
