The ruins of White Hollow were silent once more, but the air remained charged, thick with the remnants of Zenia’s presence. Caroline’s breath came in steady, controlled exhales, but her pulse still thrummed with adrenaline, her body still coiled like a spring ready to snap. The fight may have ended, but the battle was far from over.
Zenia was gone, but not defeated.
Not yet.
The shadows still lingered, curling around the broken stones, whispering with the remnants of her sister’s magic. Caroline could still feel her, like an imprint burned into the air.
She tightened her grip on her dagger.
This wasn’t over.
Not by a long shot.
Rhea stepped forward cautiously, staff still in hand, her golden eyes sharp with scrutiny.
"She retreated," Rhea murmured. "Why?"
Caroline swallowed hard,
