The Premier Art Exhibition Opening Gala in Elysia blazed with light and gathered celebrities from every corner of the world.
The entire banquet glittered with splendor as everyone raised their glasses to celebrate my achievements.
Standing beside me was Emrys Hayes, one of the leading antiquities and rare-manuscript restoration scholars, and a close friend who had accompanied me through these past few years.
He understood all my convictions and scars, never prying deliberately into my past, only offering quiet support. During a lull in the festivities, he leaned in and asked softly.
"Are you tired? I can take you back later."
I shook my head gently, the corner of my lips curving upward. "I'm all right."
In a corner of the crowd, Caspian crouched alone in the most remote part of the v
