THE EDGE OF DAWN
The forest was quiet that morning, but the silence wasn’t peace. It was anticipation. Every leaf, every blade of grass seemed to hold its breath. Elara moved carefully along the ridge, her senses heightened, attuned to every sound and shimmer of energy around her. Kael walked a step behind, his presence both grounding and protective, a steady shadow that mirrored the weight she felt pressing on her chest.
She had barely slept. Thoughts of the coming confrontation with the remnants of the rogue factions, and the unresolved threads from Ravik’s return, tangled in her mind. The bond pulsed gently, a steady thrum against her heartbeat. It reminded her that she wasn’t alone, that Kael’s strength — and his belief in her — was a tether to reality amidst the storm of uncertainty
