Brielle's POV
The fortress didn’t cheer.
No fireworks. No victory howls. No drinking in the halls.
Just quiet.
Deep, worn-out quiet.
That’s the thing no one tells you about winning: especially when the win comes after weeks of pressure, betrayal, and adrenaline.
It doesn’t feel like triumph.
It feels like an exhale that doesn’t quite reach your lungs.
For the first time in weeks, the southern borders weren’t flaring with false alarms. The war room wasn’t humming with urgency. The council had gone still.
And I?
I should’ve felt safe.
But I didn’t.
I walked the upper courtyard, arms wrapped around myself despite the warmth of the night. The moon was full. Silver. Kind. The kind of moon that should’ve felt comforting.
But it didn’t.
Not yet.
I wasn’t used to stillness.
Not af
