~KAIROS’ POV~
The courtyard was a total trap. My soldiers were exhausted. We’d been fighting for three hours straight, and still the North kept coming, pushing like a tide that wouldn’t stop.
I stood at the top of the stone stairs, sword heavy in my hand. My armor was cracked, a shallow cut above my eye bleeding into my vision. For the first time, my mind was sharp, and that clarity felt like a curse.
Every swing of my blade made me think of how much stronger I’d be if Elara were behind me. That bond in my chest—it was a jagged, empty hole that whistled with each breath.
The big iron gates groaned and finally gave up. They slammed onto the floor with a crash that sounded like a mountain falling down.
Alpha Soren of the North walked through the dust. He was huge, older than me, beard
