The dawn was an eerie, muted light, as if the world itself was still in mourning. The usual sounds of the fortress—chatter, laughter, and the bustling of soldiers preparing for the next mission—were replaced by a solemn stillness. The gravity of their victory against the gods hung over them like an invisible weight, a quiet reminder that their battle was far from finished.
Selina stood at the edge of the courtyard, her gaze fixed on the horizon. The wind carried with it a chill, a warning that she couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t the cold that bothered her, though—no, it was the sense of something lurking just beyond her reach. Something that had been watching them all along, waiting for this very moment.
“Are you still thinking about it?” Zane’s voice broke through her thoughts, soft yet
