Lyra’s POV
The earth beneath me trembled, but not with the force of destruction. This was different—subtle, almost imperceptible.
A soft quiver, as if the very bones of the world were taking a breath after an eternity of holding its pain.
I drew in a breath of my own, feeling the weight of my heart, and for the first time in so long, I didn’t feel the crushing darkness pressing against my chest.
There was a shift—a subtle but undeniable change in the air. The world was still broken, still scarred, but there was a flicker of light now, a quiet promise that something might be different.
I closed my eyes for a moment, centering myself in the silence. It wasn’t the oppressive silence of despair that had held me captive for so long. This silence was filled with the possibility of rebirth
