Kora’s POV
The next morning arrived like a sigh after a storm. The air smelled cleaner, sharper — as if the earth itself had exhaled relief. For the first time in weeks, the heaviness inside me wasn’t suffocating. There was still exhaustion, sure, but it wasn’t the same kind of weight. It wasn’t darkness. It was simply human.
I woke before dawn and slipped out of bed carefully, trying not to wake Edward. He’d refused to leave my side after the ritual, falling asleep in the chair next to me with his hand still holding mine. I paused, looking down at him — his jaw relaxed, his usually tense features softened by sleep. Even now, with the faint moonlight brushing against his skin, he looked like something carved from both strength and heartbreak.
I touched his cheek gently, smiling when he
