Hope survives because someone refuses to surrender.
The world around me had become dust and screams.
The ground was still shaking from the collapse that had split Crimson Valley in two. Huge boulders blocked the only path back to Kael, while thick clouds of dirt filled the air until I could barely see a few feet ahead.
Somewhere beyond the wall of stone, I heard him shouting my name.
“Aria!”
“I’m here!” I screamed back.
But my voice was swallowed by the chaos.
Shadow Order assassins emerged from the broken tunnels, their black cloaks blending with the smoke.
The wounded soldiers around me struggled to stand.
Many couldn’t even hold their swords.
One of the healers grabbed my arm.
“My Lady… we have to run.”
I looked around.
There was nowhere to run.
Behind us lay the collapsed
