Chapter 30 · The Black Key Bites Back

"Don't touch it."

Mara's hand was already on the lock. The void behind the door pulsed once, twice, syncing with her heartbeat. Adrian lunged forward, but the air between them turned solid, shoving him back against the crumbling wall.

"Mara, step back—"

"I heard her." Mara's voice came out flat. Her fingers tightened on the brass. "My mother. She's in there."

"That's not your mother."

"You don't know that."

"I know what a breach sounds like when it's lying."

The light in the center of the void brightened. Adrian could see it now—a knot of something that looked like a heartbeat wrapped in chains. Every pulse sent a ripple through the floor, cracking the tile under Mara's boots.

He tried to move again. The air didn't budge.

"Mara, listen to me. That door's not opening because you want answers. It's opening because the breach wants you inside."

She turned her head, just enough for him to catch the edge of her profile. Her jaw was locked. Her knuckles were white.

"Then why does it sound like her?"

"Because it's good at finding the one thing you'll walk into fire for."

The void rippled again. This time, a voice came through—