The silence after Emily’s sealing lingered long past the stilling of wind and flame.
Jack stayed kneeling in the center of the scorched circle, the world blurry at the edges. The others gave him space—unspoken agreement. Mourning had no choreography.
Only Sarah approached, quiet as snowfall. She crouched beside him, her voice a whisper.
“She meant it, Jack.”
He nodded, still staring at the spot where Emily had vanished.
“She was right,” he said. “We never really understood how deep it went. The Void wasn’t a thing. It was a mirror.”
Sarah didn’t answer. She just sat beside him in silence, letting the night breathe.
Above them, the stars didn’t care. But maybe one of them flickered a little brighter.
One Year Later.
The skyline of Harmonfield rose new and clean, glass towers like f
