Chapter 180 Part 2
**Avery**
The vision hits us like a physical blow, a punch to the gut that leaves us reeling. We see ourselves, victorious, the darkness banished, but Donn is not there. He’s a void, a gaping hole in our future, a missing piece that leaves the picture incomplete. My chest tightens, and I can feel the Primal Flame flicker, as if even it mourns his absence.
“NO!” My scream tears through the ethereal beauty of Altima, shattering the peaceful atmosphere like a stone through glass. “This isn’t our future. This isn’t how it ends!”
My mates rally around me, their hands on my shoulders, their voices a chorus of determination that grounds me. Cassius’s grip is like iron, his voice a low growl. “We’ll find him. We’ll bring him back.”
Clint’s voice is steady, his green eyes locked on mine, his words a lifeline. “He’s not lost, not as long as we remember him. Not as long as we fucking fight for him.”
Conner, ever the strategist, is already scanning the horizon, his mind working overtime. “This place, Altima, it’s a nexus. A place where realities converge. If Donn’s soul is anywhere, it’s here. We just need to figure out how to reach him.”
James, his regal demeanor momentarily cracked, places a hand on my cheek, his touch warm and reassuring. “We’ll find him, Avery. I promise. We won’t leave him behind.”
Vincent steps forward, his amber eyes burning with a fierce intensity that mirrors my own. “The darkness took him, but it won’t keep him. We’ll tear it apart if we have to. We’ll rip his soul from its fucking grasp.”
Their words are a balm, but the ache in my chest remains, a hollow space where Donn’s laughter, his touch, his very essence should be. I close my eyes, reaching out with my newfound power, the Primal Flame burning brighter within me. It’s not just fire, not just light. It’s a connection, a thread woven through the fabric of this world, a tether to Donn’s soul.
“He’s here,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “I can feel him. He’s close. I can taste him in the air, like smoke and leather and something wild.”
The island seems to respond to my call. The air shimmers, the creatures pause in their dance, their eyes turning toward us as if they understand. A path, glowing with a soft, ethereal light, materializes before us, winding through the forest like a beacon.
We follow it, a determined band of mates, each step fueled by love, by grief, by an unyielding refusal to accept a future without Donn. The path leads us deeper into the heart of Altima, through forests of glowing trees that hum with energy, across rivers of liquid starlight that reflect our determined faces. The air grows heavier, charged with anticipation, as if the island itself is holding its breath.
Finally, we reach a clearing.
In the center stands a tree, unlike any I’ve ever seen. Its trunk is made of swirling shadows, its branches heavy with glowing orbs, each one a soul, a fragment of existence. The tree pulses with life, its roots digging deep into the earth, its branches reaching toward the sky like a bridge between worlds.
And there, nestled among the branches, is a raven. Its feathers shimmer with a faint, familiar glow, a light that calls to me like a siren’s song.
Donn.
My heart leaps in my chest, and I rush forward, my feet barely touching the ground. “Donn!” I cry, my voice breaking as I reach out, my fingers brushing against his feathers. They’re soft, warmer than they should be, and I swear I can feel him, feel the man I love trapped within this tiny form.
The raven caws, a sound filled with both sorrow and hope. It flutters down, landing on my outstretched arm, its void-like eyes meeting mine. For a moment, I see him—see the man with the jet-black hair, the smirk that could charm the stars from the sky, the void eyes that held galaxies of secrets. My throat tightens, and I fight back tears, my voice thick with emotion.
“We’ll get you back,” I whisper, my fingers stroking his feathers gently. “I promise. I’ll burn the fucking world down if I have to, but I won’t leave you here.”
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