157: Unearthly cloak

Alora’s POV

The place was eerily silent, an unsettling stillness filling every corner. I clutched Nevaeh closer, feeling her soft breath against me, the only warmth in a room that felt void of life. Rune stood beside us, his presence steady, though I could sense his wariness.

Minutes passed, turning into what felt like hours. My legs began to tremble from standing so long, and the weight of exhaustion bore down on me. Just as I was about to slump, Rune reached out, as if offering to hold Nevaeh for a moment, when we felt a distinct shift in the air.

The very atmosphere thickened with a presence so powerful it pressed down on my chest. We both froze, eyes fixed on the throne, where a figure was beginning to appear as though from thin air.

Slowly, the figure came into view, cloaked from head to toe in deep red fabric that shimmered faintly, like woven blood under moonlight. The cloak was oversized, concealing nearly every inch of her body, but even from a distance, her form was petite