Elara’s fingers curled tighter around the shard, her body trembling as the flame tried to reject her, to consume what wasn’t yet whole. But it was hers—her memory, her truth, her final piece. The fire twisted around her, not in resistance anymore, but in recognition. With a burst of blinding light, the flames died out.
The wailing ceased.
The spirits hovered a moment longer, their forms flickering like candlelight in wind. Then one by one, they bowed their heads and faded into ash, finally released.
Elara collapsed to her knees, the shard clutched to her chest. Kael rushed forward, catching her before she could fall further. Her skin was burned, her eyes bloodshot, but she was smiling.
“I remember,” she whispered. “All of it.”
Zahra helped steady her, heart pounding. The pendant at he
