Malakar's POV.
The sky has returned to its usual gray, a thick blanket of mist stretching over the world like the exhale of some ancient beast. The sunlight from the day before feels like a dream now — brief and fleeting. It's the kind of morning that mutes everything — the sounds, the colors, the worries.
But none of that matters. Not right now. Because in this stillness, she is here.
Hope.
She lies beside me, her body curled beneath the blankets, face half-buried in the pillow. Her lashes resting like feathers against her cheeks.Her breathing is soft, steady. The tension that so often clings to her shoulders, that lingers behind her eyes, has melted away in sleep — leaving only peace. For once, she looks unburdened. Untouched by grief or prophecy. Just… whole. Peaceful in a way I ha
