The world held its breath.
After the storm of power, after the fractures in sky and soil, after the echoes of Aurelia’s last stand against the Voidborne’s pull, there came a silence so deep it felt unnatural.
Aurelia stood at the center of the ruined plain, her boots half-buried in cracked stone. The air around her shimmered faintly, like heat rising off scorched earth, though no fire burned. What remained of her power lay coiled beneath her skin quieter now, restrained, but far from gone.
She exhaled slowly.
Every breath still felt earned.
Behind her, Kane pushed himself upright, wincing as pain rippled through his ribs. He didn’t speak at first. He just watched her, as if afraid that if he blinked, she might vanish again into darkness.
“You’re still here,” he finally said, his voic
