The silence that followed was not peace.
It was aftermath.
Dust hung in the air like the remnants of dreams set aflame. The clearing, once vibrant with life and memory, now pulsed with the heavy breath of stillness. The earth no longer trembled. The harbingers had vanished—drawn into Rowan's hand or disappeared beyond the Veil with bowed heads and unreadable eyes.
And in the center of it all, the boy lay motionless.
Rowan. Their son.
Jace stumbled forward, blood trailing down his arm, panic finally overwhelming instinct. He dropped to his knees beside the small, still body. “Rowan—Rowan, please—look at me—”
Quinn collapsed beside him, his hands trembling as he reached to touch his son’s cheeks. “No, no—baby, stay with us. Please, you did so well—you can’t stop here—”
Kaelen remained
