Night fell with complete stillness.
The moon hung low in the sky, covered by drifting clouds that muted its light. Shadows stretched across the courtyard like creeping hands, and the entire kingdom slept under a deceptive silence.
Inside the royal chambers, Aria lay with her head on Draka’s chest. His heartbeat was strong, rhythmic, and steady, a comfort she had grown used to. After everything that had happened, these rare moments of peace were precious. She closed her eyes, safe in his arms.
But peace was never meant to last.
Outside the castle walls, something shifted.
One moment, silence blanketed the kingdom. The next — a silent chaos unfolded.
Figures cloaked in black swept through the outer borders, moving like beasts in the dark. King Aldrich’s men. Swift. Deadly. They didn’t
