Chapter Forty: Lunar Cry
Kael’s body lay still in the heart of the battlefield, the blood-soaked earth cradling him like a cruel mother. His chest no longer rose, no breath stirred his lips, and his eyes—once so full of wild fire—were closed, the lashes dark against pale skin. Around him, the wind stilled, as if mourning. The moon above, full and bright, seemed to weep silver light over his fallen form.
Aurora collapsed beside him, her knees buckling. “No,” she whispered. “No, no, no... Kael.”
Her hands trembled as she pressed them to his chest, trying to find a heartbeat she already knew was gone. The bond between them—so fierce and vibrant—had dimmed to a flickering thread.
The war was over, but it had taken too much.
“No,” she repeated, louder now, her voice ragged with grief. “You
