Shadow Alpha's POV
I woke up in darkness.
After so many years stuck between worlds, I could finally feel again. The broken pieces of the Void Gate had set me free. Not completely—not yet—but enough to touch the world of the living once more.
I stretched my dark form, feeling power flow through me. Sweet, delicious power.
"My Queen," a voice called from the edge of the darkness. "The Ruby Wolf has entered the vortex."
I turned to see my servant, a thing made of shadows and bones. "And her protectors?"
"Fighting their shadow copies, as you commanded."
Perfect. Everything was going according to plan.
I moved through the darkness toward a pool of black water. In it, I could see Sienna talking to the image of her mother—a trick I had made to keep her busy.
"Foolish girl," I whispered. "She thinks she destroyed the Void Gate. She actually opened it wider."