Dawn crept slowly over the ruins.
The mist had not lifted. It hung thick and gray between the crumbling stones, swallowing the light and muffling the world. Every sound made, a bird’s cry, the rustle of wind through the broken pillars felt hollow, distant, wrong.
Selene sat beside Kael, her fingers pressed gently to his wrist. His pulse fluttered, weak, but steady. Sweat beaded along his brow, his skin pale beneath the morning light.
Lucian stood a few paces away, arms crossed, eyes cold and sharp as steel. He hadn’t spoken since the night broke. He hadn’t even sheathed his sword.
When Kael stirred at last, Selene exhaled softly. “Easy,” she whispered. “You’re safe now.”
Kael’s eyes opened slowly, the usual molten gold now dull, clouded with confusion. “What… happened?”
Selene hesita
