Chapter 16
The snow returned.
Soft. Gentle. Almost merciful.
It drifted through the shattered dome of the sanctuary, dusting the stone and blood as if trying to pretend the battle had never happened.
But Elira remembered.
Every second of it.
Especially the moment Nyla’s hand went cold in hers.
Laying Her to Rest
They buried her in the heart of the sanctuary beneath the Moonfire Tree.
The flames from the sacred blossoms lit Nyla’s face with a soft glow as they lowered her into the earth.
Elira stood in silence, wrapped in a dark cloak, her hands still raw from battle.
No crown on her head.
No speech prepared.
Just her sister’s name in her throat, like a blade she couldn’t swallow.
Kael stood nearby, his arms bound in makeshift bandages, watching her from a respectful distance.
