Alaric...
The name rose from somewhere deep inside her mind—unbidden.
A man waiting.
Standing beneath a pale sky with his arms open, as if he had been waiting for centuries.
Eyes fixed only on her. Eyes that held a devotion so absolute it melted her heart.
The memory struck Lara like a blade sliding between her ribs.
Her breath caught.
For a heartbeat, the forest around her disappeared.
There was only him.
Alaric.
Waiting for her return.
Then she blinked.
The vision shattered like mist under sunlight.
The forest rushed back—the whispering wind, the towering trees, the faint scent of damp earth.
Behind her, Liam let out a low whistle.
"Well… this is interesting."
Logan had crouched beside one of the jagged stones protruding from the soil. He brushed away dirt with his fingers, revealing a surface that was far too smooth to be natural.
"This isn't natural rock," he murmured.
More soil fell away.
