Chapter 199

OLIVIA’S POV I crept toward the ruins of the old watchtower, twilight folding into the forest around us like a cloak. Dominic and Derek followed silently at my side, each shadow a reminder that the trap had already begun. Witches were expected—but they thought they would strike on their terms. They were wrong. We were prepared before them. Under my direction, the forest floor breathed with subtle change. First, each rune etched into bark and broken stone began to pulse faintly—cracked wards flickering, glyphs etched in moss collapsing. I let my mana seep into them, dissolving their binding energy. A glyph meant for warding a territory would now fracture and die, releasing its protective glow as thin smoke. I lowered my voice to a soft hum, threads of phoenix flame weaving into the air. I shaped a powerful illusion—an aura of exhaustion and moonlight bruising that spread in misty waves. That aura carried subtle notes of raw magic leaking like blood through a wound, healing potential lef