“She did survive,” Lyra said, her voice firm, each word carrying the weight of truth. “The God of War didn’t kill her. She lives in the Crimson Blood Pack, as we speak.”
Silence fell. Then the shock rippled through them. Someone gasped. Another covered their mouth. And then, slowly, the disbelief began to melt into something warmer.
“She’s alive…” one woman whispered, her voice trembling.
Another let out a broken laugh that turned into a sob. “Moon above… she’s alive!”
Tears that had moments ago been heavy with grief now spilled freely in joy.
Then Lyra’s smile fell… The candlelight drew hard, shifting lines across the circle of faces. She took a slow step forward until her shadow stretched over them. “This is good news,” she said softly, her tone careful, almost reverent. “It is a mi
