Sylvie Lightwhisper stood at the shattered threshold of the Throne Hall, the echo of the Cathedral's bells still throbbing through her veins like a living pulse. Around her, the Marble Plaza lay bright with dawn's first rays, though half its stones were cracked and stained by the final battle. Frostfang and Echo clansmen tended the wounded, while Silver Chorus mages wove wards of healing around the bell tower's base. Prince Thorne Blackveil approached, shoulders squared with relief, yet his eyes held something more—determination born of sacrifice.
“The Rune of Unity holds," he said softly, slipping a gauntlet from his hand to brush Sylvie's hair back. “But there remains one last ritual: the Fusion Rite. It calls for spirit and soul to bind—yours and mine—so the Echo gift and Alpha blood f
