The dawn that broke over the Crimson Ridge was not the golden sanctuary of old. It was a pale, pearlescent light that revealed the true cost of the Void’s hunger. The forest was a graveyard of white ash, and the Great Hall of the North Star stood like a hollowed ribcage against the sky.
But the violet beam was gone. In its place, a soft Aurora shimmered in the upper atmosphere, a lingering echo of Elara’s sacrifice.
Kaelen carried Elara through the shattered gates. He didn't shift back into his human form immediately; his obsidian fur provided a warmth her freezing, brine-soaked body desperately needed. The "United Army" fell silent as they passed. Wolves and Mermen alike parted the way, their eyes fixed on the woman who had turned herself into a lightning rod for a world that had tried
