A low wind rattled the broken panes of the ruined observatory as Lina and Ronan descended the winding stone steps. The night sky was a bruised tapestry, deep indigo bleeding into the red horizon where the Red Moon still lingered. Inside the ancient structure, shards of fractured telescope lenses lay scattered across dusty marble floors, and the scent of moth‐eaten scrolls mingled with damp moss.
“We've lost the barge," Ronan murmured, his voice echoing. “Kael cut us loose at dawn. We're on our own."
Lina's heart thumped. Though the pact with Kael held… for now, they could no longer rely on his tenuous alliance. She pressed a hand to her side where the dagger's hilt rested. “We'll find another way."
A soft rustle led them to the observatory's center, where Seris waited beside a collapsed
