Chapter 4 — Knox’s Warning

Knox

Knox stood at the edge of the Sunlit Square, his broad shoulders tense as his amber eyes tracked Cain and Clarice retreating toward Ashfield Manor. The golden light of the obelisk bathed the plaza in a relentless glow, its hum vibrating faintly in his ears. Normally, the sound reassured him, a steady rhythm that underscored Thornwood’s fragile safety. But today, it felt warped. Off. The runes on the obelisk had shifted when Clarice stood near it, brightening unnaturally, their pulse syncing with her presence. And that pendant she wore—hidden beneath her jacket but palpable in its energy—had throbbed in response, alive in a way that set his instincts on edge.