Five years passed after Rylan left.
Five years of healing, of growing, of becoming. The girl who'd been broken by heartbreak had emerged as something new. Stronger. Wiser. More herself. Aurora had stopped flinching at the mention of his name. She'd stopped dreaming about his face. She'd started looking forward instead of back.
"She's ready," Lena said one evening, watching her daughter train with a group of young hybrids. Aurora moved among them with confidence, her light steady, her smile genuine. "Ready for whatever comes next."
Kael nodded slowly. "She's been ready for a while. We're the ones who needed time."
Caspian's hand found Lena's. "That's what parents do. Hold on too long, then watch them fly."
They stood together, watching their daughter soar.
Aurora met him at twenty-thr
