The morning sun rose over Portside, casting long golden shadows across the cobblestone streets. Ethan stood on the wall, his eyes fixed on the horizon, his heart filled with a sense of peace he hadn't felt in years. The shadow was gone. The echo was destroyed. Elara's sacrifice had sealed the darkness away forever. The world was at peace.
But peace, he had learned, was not the end of the journey. It was the beginning of something new.
"You're up early," Ava said, appearing beside him. "Couldn't sleep?"
Ethan shook his head. "I've been thinking about Elara. About her sacrifice. About what we're going to do now."
Ava was silent for a moment. Then she said: "What do you want to do now?"
Ethan looked at the town below, at the people going about their daily lives. They were happy, hopeful,
