The resounding peal of the Empire’s great bell tore through the morning air, its deep, commanding toll reverberating across the land. The sound was thick and unyielding, echoing even within the walls of the Psycheberg manor, stirring Thalia from her slumber.
Half-lost in drowsiness, she blinked against the golden shafts of sunlight spilling through the window, warming the room with their gentle touch. Yet her thoughts were far from serene. They drifted to the night before. Her heart gave an uneven, unexplainable rhythm at the memory of Emperor Kallixto’s arms around her. His voice had carried words of affection she had never expected to hear. But instead of answering him… she had faltered. Shame pricked at her as she remembered the way she had forcefully pulled free from his embrace, her
