Kora’s POV
Dawn didn’t come gently. It broke across the horizon like a blade through cloth — gold and blood-red streaks slicing apart the last veil of night. I woke before the sun rose, heart already racing, the memory of battle still clinging to my skin like smoke. Around me, the camp was quieter than it had been in days. Not silent — never silent — but hushed, the kind of hush that comes after a storm when even the birds wait to see if it’s really over.
I shifted upright, my body aching from bruises I hadn’t counted. The muscles in my arms trembled, and my ribs protested with every breath, but there was no luxury for pain. Edward had been clear: we had to move at dawn.
The pack stirred slowly, faces pale and drawn. Luka sat propped against a tree, one arm bandaged and his jaw set like
