Vladimir carefully drew the final stroke of the talisman onto the last sheet of paper.
His small hand trembled slightly from exhaustion as the pencil completed the intricate symbol. For a moment nothing happened, and the apartment remained quiet except for the distant hum of the radiator and the occasional groan of old pipes hidden behind the walls. Then, the instant the pencil left the paper, the rune pulsed softly.
The glow lasted less than a heartbeat.
It was faint enough that no ordinary mortal would have noticed it even if they had been staring directly at the page. The light shimmered beneath the ink like moonlight trapped beneath frozen water before disappearing completely, leaving behind what appeared to be nothing more than a child's scribbles.
Vladimir released a slow breath.
