Leah Carter’s Point of View
The night after Emma’s trance, no one slept. Even the fire seemed afraid to burn too bright, its flames low and uncertain. The words she had spoken, “The throne must fall for the gate to rise”, echoed through every tent, whispered between warriors like a curse.
At dawn, the Oracle sent for us. Kael, Caleb, Seraya, and I gathered in her tent. The air inside was thick with the smell of herbs and smoke. Emma sat quietly near her, her small hands folded in her lap, her face pale.
The Oracle’s voice was calm but heavy. “It is time you all hear the prophecy in full. What your daughter spoke was only a fragment.”
Kael’s jaw tightened. “Then tell us all of it.”
The Oracle’s silver eyes flickered toward Emma. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I said, before Kael could speak.
