Chapter 179

Hazel's POV

Zion's gaze flickered with a mixture of guilt and fear as he met my gaze. "Because I know the dangers that lurk within the darkness," he confessed, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I have seen what happens when mortals meddle with forces beyond their comprehension."

I scoffed at his words, my patience wearing thin as I dismissed his warnings with a wave of my hand. "Oh zip it with your cryptic warnings, old man, and cut to the chase," I snapped, my voice dripping with disdain. "I have no time for your superstitions."

But Zion refused to be dissuaded, his eyes pleading with me to heed his words. "You must understand, my lord," he insisted, his voice growing urgent. "The greater rituals are not to be trifled with. They hold the power to unleash forces that could destroy us all."

I brushed off his warnings with a scoff, my arrogance blinding me to the dangers that lurked within the shadows. "I will not be swayed by your fearmongering, Zion," I declared, my voice drippin