The bronze coin was cold against Clek's palm.
He stood in the garden, the morning sun warm on his face, the sounds of the city slowly returning to life around him. Verenthia was healing. The darkness had receded, the First Darkness was destroyed, and the Awakening had been stopped. The people were emerging from their homes, their faces filled with cautious hope.
And Clek Stone was mortal.
He had given up his power. He had severed his connection to the Heart of the World. He was no longer the Keeper. He was just a man. A broken, damaged man who had sacrificed everything to save the world.
But the peace felt fragile, like a thin layer of ice over deep water. And the bronze coin, cold and silent in his hand, was a constant reminder of what he had lost.
Seraphina moved to his side, her ha
