~ Seraphina's POV ~
The world was quiet.
Too quiet.
I should have been resting. Healing. But my mind wouldn’t stop replaying the last few days—over and over like a cruel melody.
Regis’s claws.
Scarlett’s betrayal.
The cold stone of the dungeon.
The fire in Alaric’s eyes when he came for me.
The echo of Alaric's words haunted the silence long after he left the room.
He was going to face the Council. Alone. For me.
Even after admitting he had doubts about who I truly was. Even after Regis, my past, and the shadows clinging to my name threatened to poison everything good that had grown between us. He still chose me, but why?
I sat at the edge of the bed, arms wrapped tightly around my knees as Aris slept, her tiny chest rising and falling with a comforting rhythm.
The robe Alari
