Liam's eyes snapped open at 6 a.m., the faint gray light of dawn barely piercing the tent's fabric.
His body ached from another night on the thin mat, but the real weight pressing on his chest was the relentless countdown.
'Every second I waste is another second closer to that thing waking up.'
He rose quietly, muscles coiled with agitation, careful not to disturb the girls sleeping in their separate bedrolls around him.
He slipped past Olivia's sleeping form, her dark hair spilling across her pillow like ink, then past the others, each one a reminder of what he was fighting for.
Their steady breathing filled the tent, peaceful for now.
Liam stepped outside into the cool mountain air, the massive dark peak looming ahead like a silent sentinel.
Without hesitation, he pressed his palm against its cold, obsidian surface and let the dark energy flow.
The power surged from deep within him, a heavy, intoxicating rush that made his veins thrum.
