The air outside the house was cool, touched with the smell of pine and dew. Morning had risen fully by the time Lyra and Kael stepped out. Behind them, Selene lingered at the doorway, her figure framed by the light pouring from the home she had once feared she would never share with her children again.
Lyra glanced back once, catching her mother’s gaze. Selene smiled, a small, trembling smile that held more meaning than words could carry. Lyra returned it, then turned to the path ahead.
Kael walked silently beside her for a time, his usual lighthearted humor subdued by the weight of the night before. The trees swayed gently overhead, and their boots crunched softly against the earth.
Finally, Lyra broke the silence.
“You know,” she said quietly, “I didn’t think I’d ever feel this… whol
