Chapter 4

After they left, the cabin felt hollow, echoing with their betrayal.

The scent of Ashlyn' s Soulflame still lingered, a promise of her power.

I knelt where Whisper used to sleep, his absence a fresh wound.

My grief was a cold, hard knot inside me, but my resolve was steel.

They wanted my Spirit-Spark? They would get nothing.

But they would get passage.

The Woven Ward, now on Crystal, was more than just protection.

It was a key, imbued with my essence, a beacon that would lead them through the trials, but also mark them.

Mark them for me.

I began my own ritual, not of fiery rebirth like Ashlyn, but of quiet, profound return.

My essence, the ancient power of the Guardian Spirit of the Whispering Peaks, stirred within me.

The disguise of "Sarah" was a cloak I had worn for too long.

It had brought me love, yes, but also this devastating pain.

The Whispering Peaks called to me, their spiritual heart intrinsically linked to the Haven.

My true seat of power.

I closed my eyes, focusing on that connection.

The mundane world around me began to fade.

The wooden floor, the rough-hewn walls, the scent of pine and betrayal.

All dissolved.

I felt my spirit uncoiling, expanding, shedding the limitations of the mortal form.

It wasn' t a death, not truly.

It was an awakening. A reclaiming.

The power surged through me, immense, ancient, and cold with fury.

Sarah was gone.

Scarlett was returning.

My last thought in that cabin was of Beau' s face, his arrogant dismissal.

He would see Sarah again.

But he would meet Scarlett.

And he would pay.

The nexus of the Whispering Peaks welcomed me, its energy merging with mine.

I was home. And I was ready.