The next morning, the estate buzzed with unrest.
Whispers moved faster than warriors — tales of blood-marked trees, eastern scouts seen too close to the borders, and the return of Ivy, now unrecognizable from the girl who once walked through the academy gates.
In the council chambers, Ivy stood at the head of the war table, not behind Kael — but beside him.
Cain pointed to the burned markings retrieved by the scouts. Ember stood across from them, arms folded, her fire magic quietly coiling at her fingertips like smoke waiting to ignite.
“These runes,” Cain said, “have not been used for centuries. We thought the language of the shadows was lost after the last flameborn war.”
“It wasn’t lost,” Ivy said, eyes narrowing. “It was hidden. Sealed.”
“And now unsealed,” Ember added grimly.
T
