The heavy silence hung in the air, palpable and tense. Clara’s gasp shattered it, and a wave of relief spread through everyone gathered. Her hand weakly found Gabriel’s arm, and he pulled her close, his eyes streaming with tears. Clara’s lips trembled, but no words came—Gabriel hushed her, gently brushing her hair back as if she feared she might slip away again.
I could barely breathe, my body trembling with the effort of channeling the radiant energy. My hands still burned with the remnants of the light, but a strange sense of calm gradually replaced the storm in my chest.
Lucas stood frozen, staring at me with an expression I couldn’t quite decipher—part awe, part confusion, and something deeper that I didn’t want to face. Around us, whispers and murmurs started to rise like an uneasy
