Zahra and Kael stood atop the grassy hill, the last remnants of night slowly retreating as the first light of dawn touched the land. The sky above them was a canvas of brilliant colors, the stars now fading into the emerging blue of morning. It felt as though the very air had been washed clean, a new world unfurling before them.
Kael turned to Zahra, his face marked by the weariness of their journey, but his eyes still shining with determination. “Did we really do it? Is it over?”
Zahra took a deep breath, her gaze lingering on the horizon where the sun was just beginning to rise. The ruins of the Veil were gone, consumed by the light they had unleashed. She could feel the weight of everything that had happened—the battles, the choices, the moments of fear and strength—and yet, there was
