The bronze coin felt heavy in Clek's hand.
He stood in the garden, the morning sun painting the sky in shades of gold and amber. The city was quiet, the streets empty, the people still hiding in their homes. The siege was over. The First Darkness had been driven back. But the victory felt hollow, like a wound that had healed over but still ached beneath the surface.
Aria's presence flickered in his mind, soft and concerned. "Clek. You've been standing here for hours. What's wrong?"
"I don't know." His voice was flat, hollow. "I should feel relieved. I should feel like we won. But something feels off. Something feels wrong."
"What do you mean?"
Clek was silent for a long moment, his eyes fixed on the coin. Then he spoke, his voice barely a whisper. "The Heart of the World is rebuilt. T
