The tension across both territories had reached a point where nobody pretended things were normal anymore.
Meetings happened constantly. Patrols doubled. Every conversation carried hidden meaning beneath it, and even the people trying hardest to maintain stability looked exhausted by the pressure surrounding them.
But somehow—
Nothing had broken.
Not completely.
Yet.
Lyra stood at the edge of the upper balcony overlooking the central grounds, watching the territory move beneath her. The air felt colder tonight, sharper somehow, but after everything that had happened, she barely noticed it anymore.
Footsteps approached quietly behind her.
She didn’t need to turn to know it was Kael.
“You disappeared again,” he said softly.
Lyra let out a faint breath. “Only for a few minutes.”
“T
