The bronze coin blazed with a steady, reassuring light.
Clek 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 attack had been repelled. The Shadowed were destroyed. The survivors were battered, but alive.
But the weight of the battle pressed down on him, a constant reminder of the darkness that still lurked at the edge of his awareness. The bronze coin in his pocket seemed to pulse with a faint, warm light, a reminder of the power that was returning.
Seraphina moved to his side, her hand resting on his. "Clek. You've been standing here for hours. What are you thinking about?"
"The future," he said, his voice flat. "I'm thinking about what comes next."
"Whatever it is, you won't face it alone."
