The Temple of Moons was silent now, but the air still vibrated with the echoes of Elara’s defiance. The Well of Sacrifice had closed, its hunger unmet. Yet the Moons—the ancient forces that governed these trials, have not been denied.
They simply changed the rules.
Because destiny never bends without demanding a deeper price.
And Elara was about to discover that the final choice wasn’t between her allies. It was between them... and herself.
They stood together in the hollowed courtyard, the fractured stone still steaming where Elara’s magic had shattered the spellbinding chains.
Lucien, bloodied but smirking. Kael, battered but alive. Saphira, grim and watchful.
And at the center—Elara, heart pounding, flame burning steadily behind her ribs.
Then the sky split open.
A rift appeared
