Chapter 79 — The Song Beyond the Stars
I. The Morning After the Fracture
When dawn came, the Ridge did not rise to the sound of a perfect chord.
Instead, it woke to something messier — laughter, shouting, children running through streets, the clang of mismatched bells.
It was chaos.
It was wonderful.
Eira stood at the balcony of the Choir’s tower, the wind tugging at her silver cloak. She breathed in deeply, letting the world’s new rhythm settle around her.
For the first time, the Ridge felt alive.
Below, people were arguing about what songs to sing, how to rebuild the old patterns, whether harmony should even be taught anymore. The air hummed with disagreement, discovery, and emotion.
Master Kael joined her quietly, his gray hair blowing in the early breeze.
“It’s strange,” he s
