Alera's Pov
The night was unusually silent.
Not even the rustling trees dared to make a sound. I lay in bed, staring at the tall arched window, watching the moon slowly climb higher into the sky. Its light seemed brighter tonight, more silver than white, almost as if it was calling me.
Maybe it was.
Sleep pulled at me, heavy and slow, until I blinked and found myself somewhere else.
A forest.
No, not just a forest—the forest. The sacred one. I’d never been there physically, but I had seen glimpses of it in dreams and stories. The air shimmered like stardust, and the trees seemed to whisper in a tongue older than time.
I wasn’t alone.
A soft glow appeared before me, taking shape. A figure stepped forward, veiled in moonlight and dressed in robes that flowed like liquid silver. Her h
